Obituary of William John Westmaas

William “Bill” Westmaas died April 3, 2023 on Hilton Head Island. He was 97.

Bill was born in rural China in 1925.  He was the son of missionaries (Adam and Nellie) for the Dutch Reform Church. He left China at the age of four and spent his childhood in Michigan. In 1942 he moved to Ann Arbor to begin his pre-med program at the University of Michigan. In 1943 he joined a special Navy program for completion of his undergrad and med school. Bill was a member of the Michigan Marching Band (drummer) and a lifelong lover of Michigan football. After World War II he stayed in Ann Arbor to specialize in psychiatry.

In June of 1950 he married Mary Louise Bair. They moved to Wichita Falls, Texas for two years while Bill was in the Air Force during the Korean War. In 1952 they moved to Birmingham, Michigan where he practiced for over thirty years. They had two children, Mark and Laurie. In 1982 Bill and Mary Lou made the decision to move to Hilton Head Island where he practiced for another thirty years. Bill was a member of the Rotary club on the island.

Bill is survived by his children, Mark and Laurie; two grandchildren, Stephanie and Scott; and one great grandchild, Lukas. He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Louise and his partner, Marion Conlin.

Dr. Westmaas will be buried in a private ceremony in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A memorial service will take place at The Island Funeral Home on Friday, April 14 at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers please donate to the American Cancer Society.