DAYTON, Oregon — Bill Stoller, an Oregon business leader and founder of a successful Willamette Valley vineyard, died this week at the age of 74, Stoller Wine Group announced Thursday. Stoller passed away peacefully in his sleep Wednesday night, they said.
Stoller founded the vineyard that bears his family name in 1993, after acquiring the land where his family raised turkeys. A decade prior, in 1983, Stoller co-founded the now-ubiquitous staffing firm Express Employment Professionals.
“Bill was more than a remarkable entrepreneur — he was a generous mentor, a steadfast friend, and a passionate advocate for connecting people with opportunity,” said Stoller Wine Group President Gary Mortensen. “His bold 200-year vision and unwavering belief in the potential of the Oregon wine industry is the cornerstone of everything we do at the Stoller Wine Group. He would want us to continue pushing forward to realize his dream.”…