March 28, 1939 - Jan. 20, 2017 William Edward "Bill" Leigh, passed away peacefully at his home in Yreka with his wife, Patti, by his side Jan. 20. Bill was born on March 28, 1939, to Edward and Viola Leigh in Vallejo. He graduated from Vallejo High in 1957 and married Carmela Piccolo in 1958. He built, owned and operated Paisano Pizzeria, and Caesar's Italian Restaurant. While in Vallejo, he built apartments and duplexes and was a member of the Vallejo Beautification Committee. He served as a Vallejo Planning Commissioner in the 70s and was the director of the Soap Box Derby. He met and married his wife, Patricia (Maguire) "Patti" Leigh in 1984. The couple moved from Vallejo to McCloud in 1985. They owned and operated The McCloud Guest House and Country Inn until 1999. When the couple moved to Yreka, he took his culinary skills to various local restaurants and later the HVAC trade. Bill enjoyed his final working years as a "Helpful Hardware Man" at Yreka's ACE Hardware. He was also a volunteer member of the South Yreka Firemen's Auxiliary. Bill believed that hard work made you successful. He was a mentor to many, and anyone who worked for or with him will tell you that although he was 'tough' and 'by the book,' he had a heart of gold. They still carry the important life lessons and work ethic that he taught them. Bill is survived by his wife of 32 years, Patti Leigh; his daughter, Gina Leigh (Bill Trujillo) of Vallejo; a sister, Arvis (Ralph) Northrop; and two grandchildren, Tawny Leigh-Perez and Vincent Leigh Trujillo. Cremation will be private and the family plans to have a celebration of life at a later date.