William Howard Pixley was born August 15, 1941 in Arkansas City, KS to Howard John Pixley and Katherine Virginia Early Pixley. Bill passed form this life March 15, 2010 at the age of 68.
Bill's early years were spent in several different communities to follow his father's job with an oil company. Bill attended schools in Arkansas City,, Monument, Colorado and tulsa, Oklahoma where he graduated from Lewis Palmer High School in 1959. Bill received his BA degree from Oklahoma University in 1965.
Regardless of where the family was living, Bill looked forward to the holidays and summers when he could return to Arkansas City to sped the time with his grandparents, Charles and Fanny Early. The most exciting were the annual summer trips to the cabin near Colorado Springs.
Bill developed an interest in all things "old" early in his life,watching a neighbor drive past the house in one of the few remaining Model A Fords operating in Arkansas City during the early 1950's, and embarrassing his grandfather when he would ask for a ride. Bill's passion turned to collecting anything from his grandparents' era, the 1920's.
Bill also had a passion for music, starting as a young student with piano lessons. Someone at this time had an upright 88 note pumper player piano, and his reward for a good lesson or practice session was to play at roll. Thus began a life long hobby of collecting reproducing pianos, rolls, early records and players and anything related.
He turned his hobby into a business by learning to tune and repair the pianos. He also became an expert on the rolls and roll artists. During the 1970's he became a member of Automated Music Instrument Collectors of America (AMICA) where he made many friends and was able to meet many of the surviving roll artists.
Bill's other great interest was family history. Working back through the generations, he made many friends with whom he shared ancestors.
Bill was also a friend to many different people with different interests. He was always willing to give someone a ride, or lend $5.00 if he had it to lend.
He was proceeded in death by his grandparents, his mother and father, and his sister Charlotte Ann NIchols.
Provided by Nancy O'Brien
Bill's contributor page
Bill's early years were spent in several different communities to follow his father's job with an oil company. Bill attended schools in Arkansas City,, Monument, Colorado and tulsa, Oklahoma where he graduated from Lewis Palmer High School in 1959. Bill received his BA degree from Oklahoma University in 1965.
Regardless of where the family was living, Bill looked forward to the holidays and summers when he could return to Arkansas City to sped the time with his grandparents, Charles and Fanny Early. The most exciting were the annual summer trips to the cabin near Colorado Springs.
Bill developed an interest in all things "old" early in his life,watching a neighbor drive past the house in one of the few remaining Model A Fords operating in Arkansas City during the early 1950's, and embarrassing his grandfather when he would ask for a ride. Bill's passion turned to collecting anything from his grandparents' era, the 1920's.
Bill also had a passion for music, starting as a young student with piano lessons. Someone at this time had an upright 88 note pumper player piano, and his reward for a good lesson or practice session was to play at roll. Thus began a life long hobby of collecting reproducing pianos, rolls, early records and players and anything related.
He turned his hobby into a business by learning to tune and repair the pianos. He also became an expert on the rolls and roll artists. During the 1970's he became a member of Automated Music Instrument Collectors of America (AMICA) where he made many friends and was able to meet many of the surviving roll artists.
Bill's other great interest was family history. Working back through the generations, he made many friends with whom he shared ancestors.
Bill was also a friend to many different people with different interests. He was always willing to give someone a ride, or lend $5.00 if he had it to lend.
He was proceeded in death by his grandparents, his mother and father, and his sister Charlotte Ann NIchols.
Provided by Nancy O'Brien
Bill's contributor page
William Howard Pixley was born August 15, 1941 in Arkansas City, KS to Howard John Pixley and Katherine Virginia Early Pixley. Bill passed form this life March 15, 2010 at the age of 68.
Bill's early years were spent in several different communities to follow his father's job with an oil company. Bill attended schools in Arkansas City,, Monument, Colorado and tulsa, Oklahoma where he graduated from Lewis Palmer High School in 1959. Bill received his BA degree from Oklahoma University in 1965.
Regardless of where the family was living, Bill looked forward to the holidays and summers when he could return to Arkansas City to sped the time with his grandparents, Charles and Fanny Early. The most exciting were the annual summer trips to the cabin near Colorado Springs.
Bill developed an interest in all things "old" early in his life,watching a neighbor drive past the house in one of the few remaining Model A Fords operating in Arkansas City during the early 1950's, and embarrassing his grandfather when he would ask for a ride. Bill's passion turned to collecting anything from his grandparents' era, the 1920's.
Bill also had a passion for music, starting as a young student with piano lessons. Someone at this time had an upright 88 note pumper player piano, and his reward for a good lesson or practice session was to play at roll. Thus began a life long hobby of collecting reproducing pianos, rolls, early records and players and anything related.
He turned his hobby into a business by learning to tune and repair the pianos. He also became an expert on the rolls and roll artists. During the 1970's he became a member of Automated Music Instrument Collectors of America (AMICA) where he made many friends and was able to meet many of the surviving roll artists.
Bill's other great interest was family history. Working back through the generations, he made many friends with whom he shared ancestors.
Bill was also a friend to many different people with different interests. He was always willing to give someone a ride, or lend $5.00 if he had it to lend.
He was proceeded in death by his grandparents, his mother and father, and his sister Charlotte Ann NIchols.
Provided by Nancy O'Brien
Bill's contributor page
Bill's early years were spent in several different communities to follow his father's job with an oil company. Bill attended schools in Arkansas City,, Monument, Colorado and tulsa, Oklahoma where he graduated from Lewis Palmer High School in 1959. Bill received his BA degree from Oklahoma University in 1965.
Regardless of where the family was living, Bill looked forward to the holidays and summers when he could return to Arkansas City to sped the time with his grandparents, Charles and Fanny Early. The most exciting were the annual summer trips to the cabin near Colorado Springs.
Bill developed an interest in all things "old" early in his life,watching a neighbor drive past the house in one of the few remaining Model A Fords operating in Arkansas City during the early 1950's, and embarrassing his grandfather when he would ask for a ride. Bill's passion turned to collecting anything from his grandparents' era, the 1920's.
Bill also had a passion for music, starting as a young student with piano lessons. Someone at this time had an upright 88 note pumper player piano, and his reward for a good lesson or practice session was to play at roll. Thus began a life long hobby of collecting reproducing pianos, rolls, early records and players and anything related.
He turned his hobby into a business by learning to tune and repair the pianos. He also became an expert on the rolls and roll artists. During the 1970's he became a member of Automated Music Instrument Collectors of America (AMICA) where he made many friends and was able to meet many of the surviving roll artists.
Bill's other great interest was family history. Working back through the generations, he made many friends with whom he shared ancestors.
Bill was also a friend to many different people with different interests. He was always willing to give someone a ride, or lend $5.00 if he had it to lend.
He was proceeded in death by his grandparents, his mother and father, and his sister Charlotte Ann NIchols.
Provided by Nancy O'Brien
Bill's contributor page
