William "Berry" Kite

William “Berry” Kite, 70, of Flat Rock, IL, died at 7:15 a.m. (EST) on Saturday, September 23, 2017, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, IN. He was born March 17, 1947 in Paris, IL, the son of Lester Thomas Kite & Leona Maye (Wright) Kite. He married Gayle Yvonne Piper on May 30, 1970, and she survives. He is also survived by his son & daughter-in-law, Brian & Jina Kite (Robinson, IL); by his two beloved granddaughters, Allison Kite and Hannah Kite (both of Robinson, IL); by his brothers & sisters-in-law, Leonard Thomas “Tom” Kite (Oakland, IL), Stephen & Martha Kite (Cooks Mill, IL), and John & Jane Kite (Oakland, IL); by his brother-in-law, Colson Hart (Martinsville, IN); as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; by his sister, Charlotte (Kite) Hart, by his father-in-law & mother-in-law, Wendell & Pauline Piper; and by his sister-in-law, Sharon Kite. Berry grew up in the Oakland, IL area and was a 1965 graduate of Oakland High School. He went on to proudly serve his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. His brave and dedicated service earned him a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Back home, Berry was a hard-working and devoted farmer, and spent much of his life in the field. He also worked for Texaco in Lawrenceville, IL from 1973 until it closed in 1985. It was here he picked up the name “Bill”, after someone made an assumption and printed the name on his hardhat. Away from work, he was always crafting things in his woodshop. To this day, his family has countless pieces lovingly made by Berry on display at their homes. An old-fashioned spirit, he would almost exclusively use antique tools for his projects. This same spirit brought him to join the Parrott Auction crew, with whom he hunted for treasures often found beneath years of accumulation. Needless to say, he loved every minute of it! He also loved spending time on his motorcycle, and was a member of the Harley Owners Group. He was a longtime and active member of the Palestine Lion’s Club as well. Berry was an avid hunter, and always looked forward to deer and turkey seasons. For years, he was a regular at the Maxwell House, where he would spend a part of his morning catching up on all of the local chatter over a cup of iced tea. More than anything, however, he simply enjoyed spending time with his granddaughters. Allison and Hannah were the light of his life, as anyone who knew him could attest. Berry will long be remembered as a good and patient man who was always more than willing to drop what he was doing to help someone else. His easy-going personality and vast knowledge on nearly every matter will long be missed by all who knew him. His family, community, and country owe a great deal to Berry Kite. A time of visitation will be held from 3:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26th at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Flat Rock. Immediately following the visitation, the family will continue to receive friends at the Flat Rock Community Center, where an open house celebration of Berry’s life will be held until 8:00 p.m. The family requests that friends come dressed casually, in honor of Berry. On Wednesday, September 27th, a graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Jones Cemetery with Clint Bachelor officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Flat Rock Community Center, with envelopes available at both the funeral home and community center.