William Alois Decker

William “Bill” Alois Decker was born on February 14, 1944, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was adopted and lovingly raised as an only child by Manuel and Irene Decker. Later in life, Bill was blessed with the opportunity to meet his biological mother, Vivian Gibson.

Bill grew up on the family farm near Greenwood, Missouri, and attended Lee’s Summit High School, graduating in 1962. He later continued his education at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art in 1977.

Throughout his working years, Bill was employed by Western Electric, Sears, Gills Studio, and other businesses. However, his love of art remained his lifelong passion.

Bill had a deep appreciation for nature and loved taking his family camping and hiking in state and national parks across the country. He was adventurous at heart and always eager to explore beyond the beaten path.

For many years, Bill also found joy and discipline in distance running. A competitive runner, he competed in multiple marathons as well as numerous 5K and 10K races. His running activities and love of nature were some of the reasons that Bill grew to love his wife, Donna. They enjoyed these things by running races together and climbing mountains in Colorado and Texas. They enjoyed kayaking and floating Ozark rivers as well as snow-skiing and bike riding. Bill loved serving his God and he loved his family with all his heart.

Upon retirement, Bill devoted himself fully to his family and his art and discovered that the imperfect nature of a gourd allowed him to freely express his creative spirit. Over the years, he created hundreds of remarkable gourd art pieces and participated in many art and gourd shows, where he was recognized for his talent, routinely receiving Best in Show honors and being named Artist of the Year.

On April 17, 2026, Bill left this earthly plane and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Bill is survived by his wife of 40 years, Donna Decker; his children, Bill Decker (Amy), Steven Decker, Makayla Decker, and Leo Decker; his siblings, Joy Faye Paschal, and Paula Paschal Norris; his grandchildren, Amy Decker, Chase Decker (Meaghan), Tyler Decker, Austin Decker (Katie), Emily Decker, and Blake Decker; and his great-grandchildren, Ryan Decker, Luke Decker, Brooke Timmons, James Decker, and Summer Decker.

His legacy of creativity, adventure, and love for family will live on in all whose lives he touched.