Dr. William H Cornelison
April 18, 1936 – Jan. 29, 2015

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – William (Bill) Hedrick Cornelison, age 78, of Lake County, went to be with the Lord on Jan. 29, 2015, after a sudden but brief illness.

He passed away at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and was surrounded by his family.

Bill was born in San Bernardino, Calif., on April 18, 1936, and was the only child of the late Jarrett Menifee and Ida Alice Cornelison.

Bill is survived by his wife of 37 years, Denise; daughter, Kristi Williams and her husband, Neil; daughter, Kari Diener and her husband, Bill; son, Jon Cornelison and his wife, Heather; son, John Dodson; and grandchildren, Sophia Williams, Jarrett Cornelison, Andrew Cornelison, Joshua Cornelison and Reed Diener.

Bill was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, affectionately called “Papa Bill” by his grandchildren.

Bill graduated from San Bernardino High School class of 1954 and attended the University of San Diego, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

He finished his Masters of Education in 1967 and went on to complete a Ph.D. in educational leadership and human behavior from U.S. International University in San Diego in 1970.

Bill arrived in Lake County in 1979 when he was hired as superintendent of the Middletown Unified School District, as a result of his prior service as a teacher at several schools in California and principal of Vacaville High School in Vacaville, Calif.

He moved on to Konocti Unified School District where he was superintendent from 1986 to 1994. He was then elected as Lake County Superintendent of Schools in 1994 and served three consecutive terms, retiring in 2006.

He made numerous improvements to the schools of Lake County, and expanded a wide range of programs which increased opportunities for Lake County's children.

Additionally, he was an adjunct professor at the Yuba College Clear Lake Campus, where he passionately taught history classes, served as a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team member, and provided dedicated leadership in helping better school facilities in California through his work with the Coalition for Adequate School Housing.

He was a long-time Rotarian, including a stint as president, and sat on the boards of North Coast Opportunities, the Lake County Community Action Council, Mt. Diablo Silverado Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake United Way.

He was active with the Diocese of Santa Rosa and a member of the Queen of Peace Catholic Church.

Like his work in schools, his volunteer work contributed vastly to the quality of life in Lake County.

He was friend to many, great humanitarian and genuinely helped the Lake County community.

He will be missed by this community and will forever be loved by his family.

A family night/visitation will be Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel, 16140 Main St. in Lower Lake.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 14435 Uhl Ave. in Clearlake.

A private burial will take place at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either Lake Family Resource Center, which can be sent to 5350 Main St., Kelseyville, CA 95451 or made online at http://www.lakefrc.org/support-us ; or Clearlake Rotary Club Scholarship Committee, which can be sent to P.O. Box 549, Clearlake, CA 95422.