| Date of Birth | March 24, 1963 |
| Date Deceased | April 13, 2023 |
| Hometown | Avoca |
| Home State | N.Y. |
| Service Date | April 22, 2023 |
| Service Time | 2:00 p.m. |
| Service Location | First Baptist Church of Avoca |
| Interment Location | Valley View Cemetery, Avoca |
George “Bill” McFeaters went home to be with his Lord and Savior on April 13, 2023, of a sudden heart attack. Bill is the firstborn of George and Carolyn McFeaters of York, Pa. He was born in 1963 in Gettysburg, Pa. He grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated from New Oxford High School as the Salutatorian of his class. He then attended a Christian college called Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN. While attending, he met and fell in love with his future wife, Kathleen Marie Arnold. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in religious education. Later that same year, he married Kathy.
He always wanted to be a youth pastor and work with teens. Three years after the wedding, he and Kathy were called to serve at the First Baptist Church of Avoca, where he served until the day God called him home. During his time at Avoca, he served as a youth pastor; then, he was called to be an administrative pastor. His gift was administration, and he excelled at keeping things organized. After several more years, he was called to be the Senior Pastor. His heart was to share God’s love with everyone and help them come to know the Lord. He loved the Lord and the people he served at First Baptist Church. He also served his community and helped plan things like the annual Christmas event.
He loved his family. If he wasn’t doing things at church, he was doing things around the house. He did a lot of improvements around the house, like painting, woodwork, etc. He loved doing things with his family, like watching movies, vacations, picnicking, and playing games. He was also an avid book reader. He was so happy when audiobooks became available on the phone. He could listen to books and do other things as well. He always kept busy. Bill also loved Tae Kwon Do. He worked his way up to a third-degree black belt.
Bill is survived by his wife, Kathy, his children, James (Sarah) McFeaters, and Isaac McFeaters. His bonus son Matthew (Tara) Morales; his parents, George and Carolyn McFeaters; his siblings, Beth Helberg, Tom (Tracy) McFeaters, and Suzan (Chris) Rosner; His nieces and nephews, Meredith (Aaron) Kirschman, Olivia (Jason) Webber, Neil Helberg, Erin (Josh) Crissinger, Sadie Rosner, Sophia Rosner, Dylan McFeaters and Megan McFeaters, his grandchildren, Sean McFeaters, Jenna Morales and McKinley Morales.
He is predeceased by his daughter Debby McFeaters Morales and brother-in-law Kraig Helberg.
In lieu of flowers, please support a missionary at your church or one of the missionaries through First Baptist Avoca. Bill’s heart was always in missions, and he would want them to feel supported more than flowers.
Services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Avoca, 1 Church St., on April 22. Calling hours are from 12:30 – 2 pm, followed by a service at 2. Burial will be private at Valley View Cemetery, Avoca, NY.
The Bishop & DeSanto Funeral Home is honored to assist Bill’s family with the arrangements.
Online condolences or remembrances of Bill are welcome in the comment section below or on the Facebook page of Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home.
We have been honored to be one of the missionaries partnering with First Baptist Avoca. We have felt the care and prayer that Bill showered on the church’s missionaries. Our hearts grieve with the McFeaters and First Baptist families. We continue to pray for God’s comfort and care to surround you all as you grieve Bill’s absence, with the view to the day when we’ll see him again, all because of Jesus. With our love and prayers.
Our beloved Pastor, Bill McFeaters, was the most important man in my life, after I joined the First Baptist Church of Avoca, 10 years ago.
I loved the Zoom and in-church prayer meetings every Wednesday, that he started when COVID changed our lives.
He taught me so much about the Bible, and I felt that the prayer meetings ,for me, were a solid Bible study experience with lots of prayers as well.
Pastor Bill always said that God wants us to change, and he changed me many times, with his sermons and his overwhelming kindness and I could talk to him about anything at all.
The day before he went to Heaven, as always, his sense of humor peppered the meeting and his support for our presentations was always So positive.
I will follow his criteria for those meetings until I die:
‘Tell us what you have been reading in the Bible this past week, and tell us how those passages affected you.’
Many passages I have read, reveal how history repeats itself and I sure could apply those passages to our Nation’s current problems that affect all of us.
Please pray for the McFeaters Family and for Pastor Brandon too.
Pastor Bill was truly a man after God’s own heart! He lived his life in service of the Lord and loved well all those the Lord placed in his life! He cared deeply for his flock and was a servant leader. No task was too small and he was faithful in the little things as well as the big! He had a passion for sharing the gospel with all ages and peoples from around the globe! His heart and passion for missions was very evident and whenever we returned from the field for a visit, he made sure we felt welcomed and cared for! Pastor Bill will be greatly missed by all whose lives were deeply blessed by knowing him! We look forward to our reunion in Heaven and are praying for Kathy, Isaac, James and the whole church and missions family!
We are still in shock and sadness at the news of Pastor McFeater’s Homegoing. Avoca Baptist Church supported us for many years as we served in Niger and Pastor Bill kept our prayer requests before the church family so faithfully. His love for Kathy, his family, his church, and above all for his Savior was beautiful to behold. We pray the Lord will strengthen you all during this time of shock and grief. “Absent from the body … Present with the Lord.” “In His presence is fullness of joy.”
With our love and prayers, Heath and Norma Bobbett
Pastor Bill, you will be gravely missed, being such a pillar in the Avoca village, your church and the community. Your love for everyone you encountered was clearly evident. You welcomed my daughters into your home as Kathy has so lovingly cared for both my girls for so many years. I am sure you will miss seeing all of the “Curious George” videos, especially the one entitled “A Very Monkey Christmas.” I’m grateful for all the fun memories, the love and joy your family has brought to ours. Though our hearts grieve your loss, my heart goes out particularly to my very dear friend Kathy as I’ve witnessed the love you have for each other first hand. If only everyone could experience such love. I rejoice for you, knowing that you are at the right hand of our heavenly Father. Oh’ what a glorious day that shall be. Praying for God’s comfort for all of us who grieve. May you rest in peace.