Bill Crabtree went to be with his Lord and Savior on July 2, 2017. He was born in Springhill on Feb. 12, 1928. In 1945, he joined the Army and served in Japan until 1947. Bill moved to San Diego in 1956, and was employed by an auto parts store. He discovered he had a talent in sales and moved to Bakersfield in 1978 to start his own battery store. Battery Specialists of California was opened on Feb. 12, 1979 and he soon acquired four more stores. He owned and operated these stores until his retirement in 1988.
He loved life, and lived his to the fullest. Upon his retirement, he enjoyed traveling, bowling, and spending time with his wife, kids, and grandkids.
Bill is survived by his wife of 30 years, Loraine Crabtree, sister Dorothy Nell Fortier, daughter Jan Sagaser, son Mark Crabtree (Sandi), step-daughters, Becky Adams (Tim) and Cindy Cantrell (Audie), step-son Randy (Zenobia), 10 grandkids, seven great-grandkids, and nieces and nephews.
The service will be held at Greenlawn Southwest on Wednesday, July 12, at 2 p.m. The service will be followed by a celebration of life at The Oaks Community Church. His family would like to thank Optimal Hospice for the exceptional care they provided. Special thanks to Pastor Gary Barber of The Oaks Community Church, and Michelle Amaro, Spiritual Counselor, for their support and spiritual guidance during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be sent to Optimal Hospice of Bakersfield or The Oaks Community Church.