Paul William ‘Bill’ Ybarra

July 13, 1937 - June 12, 2023

SAN DIEGO —

Bill Ybarra passed away June 12th in the comfort of his Point Loma home with his wife and sons by his side after a heroic battle with cancer. Bill was born in Torrance, CA July 13th, 1937 to the late Paul and Marie Ybarra and grew up in San Pedro along with his younger sister, Paula Lucich.

Bill spent many days surfing Hermosa Beach and Lunada Bay in his 1947 Ford “woody”, enjoyed taking friends to Catalina on his sailboat, and zipping up to Mammoth in his Porsche Speedster, gracing the slopes with his smooth Alpine ski style. During these years Bill was a proud member of the Elks, known by his best friends as, “Billy”, and International Longshoreman’s Working Union Local 13 that he retired from in 2005. After meeting his future bride of 55 years, Linda Nolan, in Hermosa Beach, Bill moved to San Diego in 1968 where he and Linda married and had two sons, Kyle and Ryan Ybarra. Bill opened the Bottle Hatch liquor store on Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego that he operated for 15 years and was an active Optimist member. This afforded Bill time to organize, manage, and race in the Saddleback motocross races in Carlsbad, coach his son’s soccer and baseball teams where he affectionately became known to the players as, “Mr. Bill”, whom he mentored and lead to many championships, and taking his family to join friends for annual camp trips to Reds Meadow each summer and ski trips to Mammoth in the winter. When Bill wasn’t fishing a stream or skiing in Mammoth, backpacking in the Sierra’s, or jumping on a United Airlines jet to explore a new country with Linda, he could be found “at work”, his home away from home, Riverwalk golf course.

Bill is survived by his wife, Linda, sons Kyle (Carrie) and Ryan (Debbie), sister, Paula Lucich (Ted), sister-in-law, Kathy Spongberg (Paul), brother-in-law, Jim Nolan. “Papa” to four grandchildren, Jessica, Taylor, Shane, and Kaelyn, “Uncle Willy” to five nieces, two nephews, nine grandnieces and one grandnephew.

We’re grateful for the many wonderful experiences and memories Bill created. We will miss his quick wit, warm heart, optimism, energy, and immense love for his highest priority; his family. Bill’s strong faith leaves us at peace, knowing he is with his maker and enjoying the eternal fairways in Heaven.

A funeral mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ocean Beach on Monday, July 24th at 11:00am. Per Bill’s request, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the San Diego Junior Golf Association.

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