William John Till

WILLIAM JOHN "BILL" TILL William John "Bill" Till was born July 9, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of William F. and Josephine (Flowers) Till. He passed away on Friday, February 24, 2012 at the Vista Grande Nursing Home after an extended battle with cancer. Bill proudly served his country with the United States Army from 1946 to 1948. After his tour of duty, he was a member of the Strongville, Ohio (suburb of Cleveland) Police Department for 15 years. In 1966, he came to the Cortez area to work for Bankers Life Insurance Company and the Montezuma County Sheriff's Department. In the early 70's Bill and Mary Lou purchased the Muse Restaurant and Lounge, later changing the name to Mr. T's. Together they ran this business for 20 years. Bill was a member of the Cortez Elks Lodge and he managed it for several years, along with the Elks Lodge in Delta, Colorado. Bill has enjoyed working as a bail bondsman in the four corners area for the past 17 years. He enjoyed gardening and he grew beautiful flowers and large tomatoes. Surviving Bill are his wife Mary Lou; his stepsons, Robert Yarbrough and wife Karen, and Larry Yarbrough and wife Renea, and his beloved dog Bea. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Garnette Till. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made in Bill's name to Hospice of Montezuma, P.O. Box 740 Cortez, CO 81321.