William Kennedy Gregory

William Kennedy Gregory, known to most as Bill, was larger than life. At 6 foot 4 inches, he would walk into a room, and you would know he had arrived; yet he had a gentle presence that was easy and calming.

He was born on October 2, 1983, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bill was an excellent student, although he liked the social aspect of school much more than the studies. He attended Queen of Heaven Parochial School in Albuquerque for kindergarten, finishing at Corrales Elementary. He attended Taylor Middle School, St Pius X High School, University of Missouri at Rolla (UMR), and eventually obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science Magna cum Laude at the University of New Mexico.

He was a natural athlete. If you gave him a baseball and bat, a glove, a basketball, a golf club, a tennis racket, a bowling ball, or even a table tennis paddle, he would work magic and make it look like he was born with that piece of equipment in his hands. He played on his high school baseball team freshman basketball team, and played Division II baseball at UMR. After graduating from college, he played on various weekend warrior sports leagues and was ranked nationally in table tennis and participated in national bowling competitions

Bill met the love of his life, Elizabeth (Liz) Rivers, in Albuquerque. At a 5K run she was dressed in an M&M costume, and he fell head over heels (not literally) for her. She was accepted to dental school in Phoenix, so they packed up and moved there for four years. He worked at Garmin while she attended Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. While there Liz had the opportunity to go to Tanzania with a group of dentists that would provide dental care at an orphanage. Bill tagged along and did some construction work and taught English and Math classes. Onetime, when they were passing through a small village in a small bus, there were children playing at the side of the road, and Bill, trying to be friendly, waved to them saying “Jambo” (which means “hello” in Swahili). The children started running after the slow-moving bus and jumping on the bumpers. Bill then started saying “no Jambo! no Jambo!” The bus driver burst out laughing!

After Liz finished dental school, they returned to New Mexico, settling in Corrales with their first dog Blue and current dogs Freddie and Sandy. Bill was an avid Denver Broncos and New Mexico Lobos fan. He and Liz had a great time attending Bronco games in Denver, San Diego and Las Vegas. He and his mother had the good fortune to watch the Lobos at an NCAA Tournament in Memphis.

Bill loved being around people. He loved coming from a large extended family. He enjoyed holiday gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa Neff’s house and visiting his mother’s relatives. His cousins Steve, Kim, Tricia and Paula were like siblings to him. He enjoyed going up to the farm in Colorado to see Grandma Gregory and Uncle Dell and all his father’s relatives. He had a wonderful time visiting Liz’s family, and his dear niece and nephew. He had many close friends and loved hanging out with them.

Bill passed away on August 31, 2025. Bill is preceded in death by his grandparents Odell and Velma Gregory and Stephen and Margaret Neff. Bill is survived by his wife Liz Rivers-Gregory, mother Julie Gregory, and father Danny Gregory, and numerous beloved relatives and friends.

At work and in life, Bill would leave a signature calling card in any meeting room he was in with a whiteboard. He would write “Bill is awesome”. He was awesome, he was loved, and he will be dearly missed.