William "Bill" Charles Griesel

William (Bill) Charles Griesel was born on May 19, 1946, in rural Pawnee County, Oklahoma, and passed peacefully from this life on September 21, 2025, at his home surrounded by family. Bill graduated from Pawnee High School in 1964 and went on to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa.

Bill lived a life of service and dedication to his community. He served six years in the Oklahoma National Guard before beginning a long career with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, where he worked as a dispatcher, a Highway Patrol Trooper, and later retired as a driver’s license examiner. Alongside his career, Bill was a lifelong farmer and rancher, deeply connected to the land and his roots.

Faith was central to Bill’s life. He was a lifetime member of the First Christian Church of Pawnee, where he served faithfully as an Elder, Deacon, and Chair of the Board. He was also a perpetual member of Masonic Grand Lodge 82 and a member of the Akdar Shrine of Tulsa, where he brought joy to many as a shrine clown known as “Willy.”

On May 15, 1988, Bill married the love of his life, Judy, and together they built a family filled with love and devotion. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Liane (Meeker) Griesel; his brother, Phillip Griesel; his sisters, Marjorie Buchanan and Nancy Burnes; and his grandson, Kason Gamble. He is survived by his daughters, Jennifer and her husband Troy Dunn, Tina and her husband Jay Ardrey, Joanne and her husband Jarrod Scott, Tesa Long, and Tali and her husband Brandon Gamble; his sisters, Marianne Denny, Peggy Goodrich, and Effie Medford; as well as 23 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services celebrating Bill’s life will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Christian Church of Pawnee, officiated by Reverend Harvey Meyer and under the direction of Poteet Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, Bill and his family request that donations be made to the church of your choice.