William "Bill" Backus

William “Bill” Bernard Backus passed away at his home with his son’s, daughter and grandchildren by his side; and his loving wife Mary guiding him home. He will be dearly missed by all that knew him.   He was a very special man!

Bill’s life started in Marlow, Oklahoma born to Callie Lena Bradley and Arthur Backus.  The family moved from Marlow to Bowie, Texas, for work.  Never completing High School, at age 15, Bill left home and was hired as a cowboy working as a ranch hand in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, to help support the family.

After a year in Fort Sumner, Bill returned to Bowie Texas, and left with his Dad to Corpus Christi to sell travel trailers.   After a year of selling trailers with his Dad, Bill departed for Rangeley, Colorado to work on the oil rigs, as a rough neck.  During this time he met his lifelong love Mary Brimhall in Vernal, Utah. They were married on Feb. 14th 1948, in Bountiful, Utah.   From there, their Adventures began for the next 69 years together – raising a family, working at Hill Air Force Base, owning several businesses and building many new homes as a General Contractor in Utah and Texas.

In 1950, Bill was hired on at Hill AFB and served as one of the few actual "Flight" mechanics, on flight status, for the B-50, B-17, B-29, DC-3, C-46, C -119 and C-82 aircraft.  After earning his General Contracting license, he left Hill AFB and started a construction business, building several new homes in Utah.   Construction slowed in Utah, so he packed up the family and left for Amarillo, Texas.  Once in Amarillo, he and the family built a new home, but unfortunately the Amarillo Air Force Base closed shortly after their arrival and the area was unable to support any new construction.  Bill, thinking on his feet, started a successful motorcycle rental business in Amarillo that he and the family ran for the next 5 years.  Bill then returned to Utah continuing his home construction business from 1968 to 1980.  Bill rejoined the Hill AFB workforce in 1980 and worked as an IT Security Administrator on the SC&D - Stock Control and Distribution System until 1995 when he retired with a total of 21 years of combined Government service.

After his retirement from the base, Bill designed and built one last new home for him and his wife Mary, in Syracuse, Utah, where they both lived out their days running their successful storage business with their Sons until his passing.

Bill and Mary had a lot of wonderful family life stories to share with their four children, 13 grandchildren and 40 great great-grandchildren that they loved very much.  Bill is survived by his children: Greg (Delores) Backus, Mary Ann (Steve) Fletcher, Lynn (Karla) Backus and Gene (Tracy) Backus. He is preceded in death by his wife Mary Lena Brimhall Backus, Brothers - Tommy and Art Backus and Sister - Jo Ann Rich.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the Sun Crest Hospice Team and especially to Jacoy leading the team, Miller, Makayla and Chaplin Angela, in taking exceptional care of our father.

Graveside services will be held Friday, March 12, 2021 at 2 p.m. at Syracuse City Cemetery, 1290 S. 1000 W., Syracuse.  Friends may visit family Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Lindquist’s Syracuse Mortuary,   869 S. 2000 W., Syracuse, Utah.