William “Bill” Center, 78, Rapid City, made his journey home May 19th, surrounded by family and friends at Rapid City Regional Hospital.Bill was born January 6, 1936 in Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. Bill was a proud Korean War Veteran who served in the United States Air Force and was very active in the veteran’s community and Black Hills VA healthcare system. He was also an Episcopal Lay pastor for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Denver, CO and was very active in the Denver American Indian community. He was a well-known gospel and contemporary singer in Indian country and was very proud of his song “Oglala Lakota”, a favorite song that could be heard on KILI radio. Bill was instrumental in establishing the Peji To Wi dance group in Denver CO where he was affectionately known as “Uncle Bill”. Bill was a mentor to many people and treated everyone as a relative. Bill loved the Lakota people did his best to live the Lakota values and made it his life’s work to pass on his knowledge and love of being Lakota to everyone he came across. Bill is survived by his loving daughter, Wanda Center-Buckman, Wounded Knee. He is also survived by two sons, Willard Buckman and Ken Morrison; eight grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren and countless adopted relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his father, William Center Sr. and mother Emma Fast Thunder as well as brothers, Floyd and Vern Center and sister, Rachel Center-Eagle Bull.