William James Rees Sr.

October 4, 1924 - September 3, 2012

William James Rees, 87, of Williston, Florida left his family early Monday morning to be with his wife Ruby once again.

Bill grew up in Pennsylvania, the last of seven children. He loved to hunt and explore the snow covered woods that surrounded his home. When the family moved to Daytona Beach, FL, he attended Seabreeze High School where he met and later married the love of his life Ruby Rees.

The young couple moved west and Bill trained there for the air force, where he served in World War II. When the war ended, he bought the Eustis and Leesburg airports. A strong entrepreneurial spirit soon led him into real estate development. In Lake County he developed Sunny Dell Park and Western Shores on Lake Eustis. Bill moved the family to Citrus County where he created Hernando`s Hide-Away and later in Levy County established the Buy Rite Land Company.

An avid fisherman, Bill loved to take family and friends to his "home away from home" in Cedar Key. He enjoyed traveling with his wife especially to the mountains. They enjoyed Sugar Mountain in North Carolina and Colorado with all the adventurers in the family. This unique patriarch will never be forgotten. He was quick with a laugh and a joke but always deeply concerned for those he loved. His engaging personality and one of a kind sense of humor will always stay with us.

He is survived by his four children, Billy (Sheila) Rees, of Williston Florida, Virginia (Steve) Long of Oviedo, Florida, Linda (David) Gurney of Fruitland Park, Florida and Carl (Kaye) Rees, Oakwood, Georgia, grandchildren, Kenny (Sonya) Rees, Dawn (Melton) Cannon, Ky-Ann (Mike) Long, Patrick Murray, Carey Lee Murray, Tray and Matt Hiers and many great grandchildren.

Friends and relatives may visit Hiers-Baxley funeral Services online www.hiers-baxley.com to sign the memory book and extend condolences to the family. A private family service will be held in the near future.