William P. Eddy has strong ties with the Kings Valley-Hoskins and Eddyville areas. Eddyville was named after William’s great-grandfather, Israel F. Eddy. Bill was named after his great-grandfather. Bill’s grandparents, Perry and Mary Amanda Eddy, settled in Kings Valley. William’s grandmother, mother, father, and wife are buried at Kings Valley Cemetery. Bill was born in Hoskins on January 16, 1919. He attended a one-room grade school in Hoskins and then went to Kings Valley High School. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business from Albany College in Albany, Oregon, in 1940. It was at Albany College where he met his future wife, Dorothy. Dorothy M. Moore was born May 29, 1919, in Portland. She attended Franklin High School, then earned a teaching degree from Albany College. Following graduation, she taught high school in Umapine and West Linn.
Dorothy and Bill continued their courtship through correspondence while William served as a captain in the U.S. Marines during World War II. Following his retirement with the rank of major, Bill and Dorothy married in 1949. Bill and Dorothy were soon blessed with the birth of a daughter, Victoria. Dorothy put aside her teaching career to raise her daughter. Bill accepted a position as corporate officer and treasurer for Moser Lumber Co. in Kings Valley where he worked for twenty-five years. He then worked as controller for Albany International Industries and Albany Titanium before retiring in 1988.
When Vicki was 10, Dorothy began substitute teaching at schools around the valley. She continued to be a substitute teacher for about 30 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. She was active in Eastern Star and Daughters of the Nile. Dorothy died in January 2001.
William was active in Freemasonry for more than 50 years and was a member of Mary’s River Lodge #221 and the Al Kader Shrine. In 2000, he was honored by the Masons with the coveted Hiram Award, the highest honor that can be given to a member of a Masonic Lodge other than being Master of the lodge. In 2008, Bill established the William P. & Dorothy M. Eddy Memorial Fund in memory of his wife, and to honor his deep roots in the Kings Valley-Hoskins and Eddyville areas. William pased away in December 2016.