William Douglas "Bill" Verboon Obituary (1939 - 2023)

William "Bill" Douglas Verboon passed away peacefully in his Lake Havasu City, AZ home surrounded by the love of family and friends on April 28, 2023, at the age of 83. Bill was born in Corcoran, CA on October 14th, 1939, to William and Doris Verboon. He was the older brother to siblings, Carole and Ricky. When Bill was eight years old, he and his family relocated to Hanford where they settled at Gold Top Ranch farming cotton, corn, and walnuts. At 18 years old, Bill joined the Air Force in 1958. He worked on B-52 bombers and GAM-72 missiles at Beale Air Force Base. During his time in the Air Force, he met the love of his life, Karen Mayfield, while cruising Mooney Boulevard in Visalia, CA. He was a standout on Mooney that day in his turquoise '57 Chevy, dubbed "The Flying Dutchman" for his Dutch heritage and love of fast driving. Bill had an eye for beauty too, and from that day forward, he and Karen were inseparable. Bill and Karen married on November 25th, 1960 in Woodlake, CA. They welcomed their first child, Sandra Lee, in 1962. Shortly after their second child, Doug, was born in 1963, Bill left the Air Force and relocated his young family back to Gold Top Ranch. As a family, they traveled to numerous National Parks throughout the western United States, with one of their first trips to Jackson Hole, WY. They spent evenings and weekends riding dirt bikes and water skiing together, even skiing in canals and reservoirs near the ranch. From early childhood, Bill showed a passion for motor vehicles, ranging from motorcycles, snowmobiles, vans, boats, dune buggies, and especially Corvettes. Five days after their wedding and while still on their honeymoon, Bill and Karen purchased a 1959 Corvette, jumpstarting a lifelong fascination and love for the vehicle. In 1987, Bill bought and restored a 1960 Corvette and showed it with the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS). His meticulous attention to detail and mechanical know-how gained him the prestigious Top Flight and Duntov awards. From this achievement, a business and lifelong hobby was born. Unsurprisingly to anyone that knew him, Bill purchased and restored another Corvette (1962), earning another set of Top Flight and Duntov awards. Bill's Corvette obsession led to his entrepreneurial dream of starting a Corvette restoration business. Bill and his son, Doug, restored more than 25 vehicles under the name Gold Top Restoration, earning them national fame and recognition for their fine quality, craftsmanship, and head-turning style. Car shows were a true family affair, and Karen was never far from sight, decked out to the nines in coordinating colors to match the cars. His daughter, Sandy, was often found by his side in the shop helping to prepare the cars for various events, and showing her support at car shows every weekend. In addition to several other hot rods, Bill also bought and restored a '57 Chevy identical to his high school favorite, "The Flying Dutchman." Aside from his car restoration business, Bill and Karen operated Gold Top Ranch. Bill took over the family farm in 1985 from his father before retiring in 2005 and passing the reigns to the next generation. As a farmer, Bill won numerous awards and national recognition for his ranch. In addition, he participated in agriculture research for UC Davis and held a Sequoia Walnut Advisory board position for over eight years. He was personally invited to Chicago, IL, to test prototype tractors and make recommendations for further advancements. Bill was very active with his community and family. In 2005, he and Karen relocated to Teton Valley, ID, where they lived after retirement, often spending their time gardening, traveling through Yellowstone Park, and entertaining numerous friends and family members at the picturesque sanctuary that was their Idaho home. In 2013, they purchased another home in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where he enjoyed gardening, hanging out with his car club, and spending time with his family. Bill and Karen traveled worldwide, extending to Canada, Barbados, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, and throughout the United States. He often joked his weekend started Thursday and ended Tuesday. Wednesday was for laundry and reloading the car for another adventure. "Wild" Bill was a man of many talents and achievements, but most of all he was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather that will be dearly missed. He will always be our "Best of Show." Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Doris and William "Bill" Verboon, and his brother, John "Ricky" Verboon. He will live on through his loving wife of 62 years, Karen Verboon; his daughter Sandra Verboon; his son Doug Verboon (Jill); his grandchildren Cassandra Verboon, Courtney Verboon Haley (Jonathan), Arie Verboon, Chelsea Verboon, Kari Barba, Kelsey Pasqual (Michael), Chase Reed; and his great-grandchildren, Drake Valdivia, Quinn Pasqual, and Liam Pasqual; and his sister Carole Delap (Chuck), as well as many nieces, cousins, and beloved friends.