William Pauly Corette, Sr. passed away on September 22, 2020, in Bozeman, Montana at the age of 81. As a third-generation Montanan, he was born in Butte America to John Earl Corette II and Elsie Pauly Corette.
Bill married the love of his life, Deborah West Corette, in November 1965. They shared 55 wonderful years together, raised four beautiful children and are blessed with six adorable grandchildren.
After graduating from Butte High School, Bill entered the Army. Following the service, he received a B.A. from the University of Montana in Missoula where he became a Sigma Chi. Bill was also a star player and the coach of the tennis team.
Bill began his investment banking career in New York City, with Merrill Lynch, and then moved to Denver, Colorado where his territory was the Northwestern region of the United States. In 1967 he was hired to open the first Smith Barney Office in Los Angeles. Later he moved his practice to Oppenheimer where he spent eighteen years. In 1999 his daughter Candace, joined him as his proud partner at Wells Fargo Advisors in Rolling Hills Estates, California where he spent the last twenty-one years of his career.
Bill was a sports enthusiast; he played tennis, golf, and skied. He also enjoyed trap shooting and sporting clays. But, his true love was horseback riding with his family and friends, the Saddle and Sirloin Club, and fifty-two marvelous years as a member of the Ranchero Vistadores, 4Q Camp where he was a distinguished honoree of the DFL Hall of Fame. Bill was a member of the Rolling Hills Caballeros Horse Club, Rolling Hills Tennis Club, and Rolling Hills Golf Club. For seventy years he loved duck hunting with generations of his family and close friends in Dillon, Montana.
We will always cherish his bigger-than-life personality, contagious laugh, fabulous stories, sparkling smile, and his kind compassionate heart.
Bill is survived by his spouse, Debby, son Bill Jr., and his two boys, Billy, and Bailey; daughters Krista Corette; Kara and Andrew Madden and their sons, Wyatt and Brayden; Candace and James Pratt and their son, Bobby, and daughter, Corette. Bill was preceded in death by his three siblings Joan Hanley, Shaun Corette and Diane Simperman. He is also survived by two brother-in-law’s Donald Hanley, Roy Simperman, and sister-in-law MaryAnn Corette, in addition to many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
There will be a service at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, October 2, 2020, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Butte, Montana. In lieu of flowers, Bill’s wishes were to have contributions made in his honor to his mother’s scholarship.
Carroll College
The Elsie Pauly Corette Scholarship
C/O John Cech
101 North Benton Avenue
Helena, Montana 59625
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
