MILFORD — William N. "Bill" Bess, 81, of Milford, Indiana, passed away at 6:47 a.m. on Monday, January 30, 2017, at Elkhart General Hospital in Elkhart, Indiana. He was born on January 9, 1936, in Franklin, Ohio, to Raymond G. and Anna Imogene (Colvin) Bess. He attended Milford High School and was a lifetime Milford area resident. He was first married to Virginia L. "Ginny" Coy and then on April 10, 1987 in Milford, Indiana, he married Marilyn L. (DeCamp) Kasten who preceded him in death on September 16, 2009. He retired from Syracuse Rubber Company after 49 years and worked part time for NAPA in Milford after his retirement. He was a member of the Wawasee Heights Baptist Church in Syracuse and Masonic Lodge #418 in Milford, Indiana. He is survived by two daughters, Angela Ann Ferrell of Goshen and Mary Kay Bess of Warsaw; a son, William John "Bill" (Jodi) Bess of Wolcottville, Indiana; three grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Carolyn (Larry) Weaver of Syracuse and Deborah (Larry) Lea of Milford; three brothers, Donald (Nancy) Bess of Indianapolis, Daniel Bess of Scottsburg, Indiana, and Warren Bess of Syracuse; and companion Mary Haight of Syracuse. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife and two brothers, David and Russell Bess. Calling will be from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. today at Owen Family Funeral Home, 1001 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, Indiana. Masonic services will be at 7:30 p.m. today in the funeral home. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2017, at the Wawasee Heights Baptist Church, 504 Syracuse Webster Rd., Syracuse, Indiana, with Pastor Pat Park of the church officiating. Burial will take place in the New Paris Cemetery. Preferred memorials may be given to the Wawasee Heights Baptist Church, 504 Syracuse Webster Rd., Syracuse, IN 46567, or , 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016. To send condolences to the family in Bill Bess' memory, please visit www.owenfamilyfuneralhome.com.