Obituary of William Lee Short

William Lee “Bill” Short, 76 years old, passed away on June 23, 2016, after a brief illness. Bill was born in Los Angeles, CA, the only child of Claude Short and Virginia White. He graduated from Cal Northern School of Law, Chico, CA, attaining a Juris Doctorate (Cum Laude) in 1987. He also passed the California State Bar, that same year. Bill had an incredible work history. He started in the late 1950’s as a radio disc jockey while writing articles and taking pictures for the LA Times. In the early 1960s, he moved to the Island of Kauai, where he was part of a group that built the radio station KAUI. He was a great storyteller and always had a fascinating tale to tell about his time in Kauai and the many adventures in his news reporting and law careers. During the next 20 years, Bill moved to Northern California and worked for the California Department of Justice, and also as a Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff and Sheriff’s Pilot. During the 1960's, Bill attended the McGeorge School of Law. He later transitioned to a career as an investigative reporter and photographer for the Oroville Mercury Register and Redding Record Searchlight. While in Redding, in the 1970's, he was the television anchorman for Channel 7. He later completed his studies at Cal Northern School of Law as a member of the first graduating class of 1987. Bill then became a Butte County Public Defender until his retirement in 2014. In 2015, he was sworn in as a Judge Pro Tem. He was excited to be on the other side of the bench. In recent years, Bill's passion was Oroville Sunrise Rotary Club. He spearheaded efforts to bring together the Monday Club and both Oroville Rotary clubs as co-owners of the Historic Monday Club building. He was also instrumental in starting an Interact Club at Oroville High School, which has grown to be a driving force for community service. In 2013-2014 Bill was Governor of Rotary District 5180. Bill was always ready for a glass of good wine and a fine cigar. He loved Apple computer products, fishing in Alaska and family trips to Ashland and Mendocino. Bill is survived by his wife of 22 years, Alma, and his children, Hailey, Jim (Virginia), Cheri, Lara, and step-children Robynn (Greg), Timothy, and 11 grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Oroville Sunrise Rotary Scholarships or Rotary International. A Celebration of Life service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Oroville on July 2, 2016 at 10 am. Reception to follow. Arrangements are entrusted to Ramsey Funeral Home 530-534-3877.