Billie "Bill" Phares Maze, 88's Obituary
Billie Phares Maze passed on January 9, 2018 at his home in Boise, ID, at the age of 88. Bill, as he preferred to be called, was born in Dover, KS on May 12, 1929. Bill had a rough childhood in Dover as his father was a bootlegger and very, very poor. Bill joined the Navy around the age of 17 and ended up participating in Admiral Byrd’s second mission to the North Pole. Bill was fortunate to meet the love of his life, Rachel Ann Maze, who he married on Flag Day on June 14, 1953. Bill and Rachel moved to Tulsa in the late 1950’s and both worked at Jenkins Music Company for several years. After leaving Jenkins Music, Bill became self-employed and tried his hand at making fiberglass boats, lumberjacking, and, at one point, opened Tulsa’s first retail pet store named, The Fish Net, on Brookside near 45th and Peoria in the late 1960’s. Later, he founded and managed Bill Maze Painting and Remodeling until he retired around 2005 after almost 40 years in the business. Bill Maze worked very hard his whole life mainly due to his unbelievable love for his wife and children. His wife, Rachel Ann Maze, passed away in 2013, in Tulsa. His middle son, Matthew Dennis Maze, passed in 2014 in Jennings. Bill is survived by two sons, Mark Jacob Maze of Yellow Pine, ID and Michael William Maze of Boise, ID. Please make any donations in the name of Bill and Rachel Maze to the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.
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