William Calvin "Bill" Whiffen passed away peacefully at the Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday, August 6, 2008. Bill was born in Los Angeles, California on December 15, 1956 and then adopted by William and Janet Whiffen on January 24, 1957 when he was five weeks old.

Bill was an artist by trade. He was an accomplished wood artisan and underwater photographer. Bill spent many hours turning beautiful pens, bowls, and wooden ornaments creating future heirlooms for his family and friends. Bill loved to create underwater photo presentations that he would share with students in many classrooms around Nevada and Arizona. He loved to show the children the wonders of his underwater world. This was one of his passions. Bill also enjoyed cooking, karaoke, sky diving, hiking, and anything that kept him outdoors.

Bill was raised in northern California, lived in Alaska, Arizona, and California before settling down in Rachel, Nevada. Bill loved his friends, the high desert, and the aviation experiences that Area 51 had to offer. He loved to tell stories about what he saw in the skies above Rachel.

Bill is survived by his sister, Wendy Whiffen and her husband John C. Kirk of Apache Junction, Arizona and his beloved dogs "Snickers" and "Buddy".

A memorial for Bill was held on October 18, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in Rachel, Nevada.