William "Bill" John Bedell

William “Bill” John Bedell, 62, of Raeford, NC, died Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC.

Bill was born September 10, 1961, in Lakehurst, NJ, to the late Robert Lester Bedell and Judith Ann Sweetman Bedell.  Bill retired from the US Air Force after 23 years of service.  

In addition to his mother, Bill is survived by his wife, Tammy Bedell; daughters, Kacie Bazzarre, Ashley Paredez, and Brettania Weeks; grandchildren, Isaac, Mason, Ian, Riley, Ida, and Leyna; sisters, Tracy Mourer and Patrice Bedell; and brothers, Robert Bedell and Michael Bedell.

Although he was born in Lakehurst, he considered Toms River, NJ home. This is where he grew up, went to school and developed his love for soccer. In 1981, Bill joined the United States Air Force and was assigned to his first duty station at Scott AFB in Illinois. In 1984, Bill met his wife, Tammy, in England at RAF Croughton. They married 2 years later.  In 1987 they moved to MacDill AFB in Florida where their family grew with the birth of their daughters. Over the span of his service he met many friends, most of whom he considers family, and would often take advantage of reunions. 

In 2004, Bill retired as a Master Sergeant at Pope AFB and months later he began working as a VTC coordinator at the United States Army Special Operations Command, where he stayed for 19 years before retiring in December of 2023. He valued his time here, and appreciated the many friendships he gained within the unit. 

Bill enjoyed many things in life. In 2009, his daughter “gave him permission” to coach soccer at her high school, Pine Forest. Over the next eight years he was assistant coach for the varsity boys and girls teams and coached the JV teams. Many of the players saw him as a mentor and friend, and he never missed an opportunity to let them know he cared and supported them. 

Bill also cherished the time spent with his family, which consisted of his wife, three daughters and their spouses and six grandkids. Whether it was skiing in the mountains, fishing and relaxing on the lake, or just cooking out at home, he always made sure they were his first priority. He had a deep love for adventure, meeting new people, and often made memories while riding his motorcycle, “scaring” his wife on the Tail of the Dragon, skydiving, joining the local Corvette club, and taking part in the Scottish American Military Society. 

Overall, Bill was an outgoing, fun loving, positive and supportive person. He will forever be loved by all, and forgotten by none.  

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home.  A funeral service will be conducted on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in the Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home Chapel.  A burial, with full military honors, will follow at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery, Fort Liberty, NC.

A livestream of the service can be seen by clicking this link: https://www.facebook.com/JerniganWarren/

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, Wall Street Plaza 88 Pine Street, Suite 2400, New York, NY 10005 or to the American Cancer Society.

Online condolences may be made to www.jerniganwarren.com

Arrangements by Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home, 545 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28301. 

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