On Aug. 1, 2025, William “Bill” Radcliffe passed comfortably in hospice care in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Bill was a resident of Sandpoint, Sagle and Dover, Idaho for the past 55 years. A pillar of the community, Bill was the owner of the construction company Sand Creek Renovations, specializing in kitchen and bathroom renovations. Bill was active in the youth sports community, as a long-term soccer player and coach his passion for the sport helped shape hundreds of lives over the years.
Many remember Bill as always having a story or a joke and being forever positive in his approach to life. Bill truly lived life to the fullest, from his family to his travels, to his love of all the finer things in life, Bill lived a dozen lives of fun and adventure in his 77 years with us.
Bill and Laurie Radcliffe. Courtesy photo
Originally from Detroit, Mich., Bill graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in art history, and from where he subsequently hopped on his 10-speed bike to ride across the country to become a ski bum in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he met and married his wife of 50 years, Laurie (Hapke) Radcliffe.
In 1971, Bill and Laurie discovered the gem of the PNW: Sandpoint, Idaho, and their wanderlust was sated. Bill and Laurie have two sons, Geoffrey and Kelly, who will miss their always amazing father.
The Radcliffe family.
Courtesy photo
Bill was an avid nature lover and a photographer who once turned a bathroom into a darkroom for his sons in high school so they could develop their own pictures at home. A consummate explorer, Bill would always have an adventure planned with his family or his soccer teams. Bill was a scuba diver, a French speaker, a wine connoisseur, a foodie and generally a great guy.
It’s virtually impossible to think of anyone who’s got something bad to say about Bill and his family is forever proud.
As of yet there is no memorial planned, but please follow his sons Kelly and Geoffrey Radcliffe on Facebook for any upcoming announcements of a celebration of life.
We love you dad.
Submitted by the Radcliffe family.
Want to support independent local journalism?
The Sandpoint Reader is our town's local, independent weekly newspaper. "Independent" means that the Reader is locally owned and operated by people who were born and raised in Sandpoint. The Reader is owned by Publisher Ben Olson, Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Senior Writer Soncirey Mitchell. Sandpoint Reader LLC is a completely independent business unit; no big newspaper group or corporate conglomerate or billionaire owner dictates our editorial policy. And we want the news, opinion and lifestyle stories we report to be freely available to all interested readers - so unlike many other newspapers and media websites, we have NO PAYWALL on our website. The Reader relies wholly on the support of our valued advertisers, as well as readers who voluntarily contribute. Want to ensure that local, independent journalism survives in our town? You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
TIMBER WARS: Six-part series, February-November 2022. GO READ IT»
WHERE ARE THE WORKERS?: Five-part series, September-October 2021. GO READ IT»
THE AMERICAN REDOUBT: Seven-part series, November-December 2017. GO READ IT»
STANDOFF AT RUBY RIDGE: 25 Years Later. Five-part series, August-September 2017. GO READ IT»
Curious about what media the locals use? Check our 2018 Local Media Survey. GO SEE »
Sandpoint in Pictures
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who's work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
Meet the Reader
Ever wonder who makes the Reader happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look pieced together by summer 2017 intern McCalee Cain in which Ben, Cameron and Lyndsie explain what exactly about the Reader keeps them coming back to their shabby (but well-loved) office each week.
