Obituary of William Yarnall

Bill Yarnall passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 5th, in Rockledge, FL. Raised on farms in the Lewistown valley of Pennsylvania, he walked 15 miles to school, uphill both ways, in 20 feet of snow without shoes. Or so he frequently told us. After dropping out of school, he joined the Army where he served as Military Police in Germany from 1956-1959. Upon honorable discharge, he returned home to Pennsylvania. He carved out quite the career as a truck driver, delivering everything from dynamite from the Atlas Powder Company to modular homes to hydrochloric acid to everything in-between. He logged well over a million miles safely, with many stories and a driving record he would often brag about. For his love of seeing the country and logging all those miles, he was afraid of flying. After all those miles, he retired to Titusville, FL where he resided for 20 years. He would do odd jobs here and there, always tinkering with something, always busy. Despite the lack of formal education, he could seemingly do anything: plumbing, electrical work, auto mechanic, carpentry, deck building. When not driving the rig, he’d often be found in the garage working on cars or fixing something. He always had 15 projects going on at once, seemingly never finishing any of them. His real kryptonite was building stairs. Anyone who ever climbed our attic steps could attest to that. He loved the cars of his generation and could tell you year, make and model from anything from the 20s to the 90s. Technology was not his friend, as our VCR clock always flashed 12:00. He never met a stranger. He was quick to strike up a conversation with anyone who would give him the time of day. He would gauge quickly what kind of jokes or innuendo he could tell you,and didn’t flinch much if he misjudged which was sometimes hilariously often. He loved wing nights with the boys. He loved junk food, especially cookies. He also loved dogs and would stop to pet any that would let him. He had a special place in his heart for Molly, his German shorthaired pointer, and missed her terribly. Surviving members of his immediate family: sons Kenneth, William (Leslie), Tim (Lisa), and Andrew (Jennifer) and daughters Gail and Melissa (Barry), as well as many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Dorothy Yarnall, sisters Leona Machay and Elaine Brandt, as well as son Richard and daughter Donna. Interment will be on February 24, 2022, at 10 a.m. at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery. There will be a small memorial gathering at the lodge of Missile View Trailer Park in Titusville, FL at 2 p.m., where we will celebrate his life.