William “Bill” Cole, 84, of Watervliet Township, a retired teacher from Benton Harbor School, died on Monday, September 20, 2021, in the care of his family at his residence.

Services celebrating his life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 25 at Midway Baptist Church with Reverend Ron Hayes as officiant. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Watervliet Township. Visitations will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Midway Baptist Church.

Arrangements are made by the Davidson Chapel of the Florin funeral service in Coloma. Memories can be made at Midway Baptist Church. Please share any messages or memories on www.florin.net.

Bill was born on May 23, 1937 in Floyd County, Ky., To Lewis Cole and Cynthia Shepherd Cole.

He was a sixth grade teacher in the Benton Harbor School System in many school buildings from 1965 to 1994. Bill had nearly 30 years of teaching. After his retirement he continued to be a substitute teacher for several of the region’s school systems and, in recent years, he has been a substitute teacher at the public schools in Watervliet.

Teaching and interacting with students was his life. In 1970 he received his Masters in Education from Andrews University.

Bill married his second wife, Jearldine, and together they celebrated 18 years of marriage before she preceded him in death in 2021.

Bill was also very active and a long-time member of the Midway Baptist Church. He was a junior high school Sunday school teacher, drove the church bus, and received a 40-year-old pin for his involvement in church youth ministries. His hobby was farming where he liked to go out in the sun and grow vegetables. He also collects old agricultural equipment.

Bill and his wife also enjoyed their dogs. He was a kind and generous person who had a great sense of humor. Bill was a gentleman and a family man who loved his family.

Her family includes her daughters: Stephanie (Scott) Conway of Mattawan, Michigan, and Cheryl (Dale) Midkiff of Coloma; her stepchildren: Debbie (Jimmy) Singleton of Statesville, NC, Ginger (Rick) Fedewa of Wabash, Ind., and Tammy (Troy) Pierce of Lexington, NC; his brothers: Belve (Linda) Cole of Wabash, Ind., and Raymond Cole of Hazard County, Ky.; his sister, Evelyn Turner of Lexington, Ky .; three grandchildren; and her great-grandchild.

He was also predeceased by his first wife, Hollis; and a daughter, Gayle Mueller.