William H. "Bill" Wolfe

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Bill was granted his final wish to get on the road again to see his beloved Becky. He passed quietly with the guidance of Bedford Colonial Courtyard and Gentiva Hospice staff, all of whom provided professional, tender, loving care. Bill’s humor, smile, and personality will be missed by many.

Bill was born July 25, 1931 to Burdette and Mabel Wolfe of Pitt Street, within sight of the Bedford Fairgrounds, a place that would bring him much joy throughout his lifetime. After the speedway opened there in 1936, his father took him to his first race in 1938. He could still be found on the fourth turn hill a few short weeks ago on August 28. He loved fair week, supervising the west gate for many years or driving the tram. He and Becky spent countless summer hours volunteering on fair preparations.

Bill graduated from Bedford High School in 1949 and from November 28, 1952 until October 21, 1954 served our country during the Korean Conflict. Not long after he returned to Bedford, he met a pretty farm girl from Rainsburg and on July 1, 1955, Rebecca Jane became his for life. They built a home together in Friends Cove where they raised their daughters, Teresa and Karen, and shared much fun with family and friends over their 70 years together.

As a boy, Bill fished and trapped along the river and developed a lifelong passion for hunting. Be it deer, turkey, grouse, ringneck or duck, as well as small game, Bill was an expert shot. He loved the challenge of being in their living room, outwitting animals at the game of chess between the hunter and the hunted. For many years he and his good friend, Don Leppert, worked to instill a love of hunting and the outdoors in others through their displays and presentations at Youth Field Day. Bill, Don, and their respective families shared a passion for Elk County, each building camps near Benezette, to which they made annual pilgrimages to see the elk rut, hike, and swap stories with the many friends they made there. This led to their shared interest in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They were foundational members of the group that established the annual fundraising banquet in Bedford. Over the years, Bill’s interest changed from shooting animals to shooting their pictures. As a self-taught photographer, he became quite adept at capturing the perfect elk photo as well as those of bucks, turkey, bear and coyotes in the Smokies’ Cades Cove.

After thirty years of being proud to be a pipeliner at Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation on Rt. 220, Bill and Becky were free to travel. Early September saw the truck or van packed and headed off toward the setting sun. They hiked trails and mountains, enjoying the animals, national parks, history and beauty of the West. Bill and Becky took pictures and videos which they revisited for years when their traveling days were over. Bill enjoyed his life, lived it on his terms, and loved his family. He had fun with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. At the end, he expressed his love for all of us.

Bill is preceded in death by his aforementioned parents, Burdette and Mabel (Ferguson) Wolfe; his wife, Rebecca Jane (Cessna) Wolfe; his daughter, Teresa (Larry Leppert); his sisters, Betty (Fred Hoover) and Shirley (Tex Cessna) and brother, Bob (Louise Weaver) He is survived by his daughter, Karen (Jim Brandt); son-in-law, Larry Leppert; grandson Jason Cessna (Jenna Epstein) and their sons, Quinn and Owen; and granddaughter Amy (Rudi Fritz) and their children, Haley and Cooper.

Karen would like to express her deep appreciation to the entire Colonial Courtyard community for embracing her parents as family when they moved there in October 2025. Genuine warmth, kindness, and commitment to residents’ quality of life have been evident throughout their stay. Gentiva Hospice and Bedford Colonial Courtyard worked in concert to ease both her parents on their final journeys. Heaven has a special place for all of them.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 18, 2026 at 10:45 a.m. at the Timothy A. Berkebile Funeral Home in Bedford with Pastor Katie Weber officiating. A private burial will be held at Woods Church Cemetery with full military rites conducted by the Fort Bedford Honor Guard. Friends will be received on Friday from 9 a.m. until the hour of service at the funeral home. Our online guest book is available at www.berkebilefuneralhome.com.