William Schultz

William Peter "Bill" Schultz, 79, of Atwater, Minn. - loving husband, proud father, doting grandfather and joyful friend to many - passed away surrounded by family on February 7, 2015, in Phoenix, Ariz.

A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Willmar. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, and will continue for one hour prior to Mass. Interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Mary's Foundation or Willmar Public Schools Foundation (willmarschoolfoundation.org), are preferred.

Bill was born August 4, 1935, in Bemidji, Minn., to Roy and Gladys Schultz. He grew up on a farm just outside Bemidji, near the Mississippi River, with his parents, three brothers and two sisters. Bill went to Carr Lake Elementary School and graduated from Bemidji High School in 1953. He worked at Douglas Aircraft in El Segundo, Calif., before joining the U.S. Marines. Bill honorably served during the Korean Conflict and was stationed in Okinawa. He then worked as an Installer for Western Electric and AT & T for 32 ½ years. Bill retired from AT&T in 1991 to do what he loved the most, spend time with his wife, Joan; children Tim, Amy, Brenda and Brad; and later, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill married Joan Wittman on September 14, 1963, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Willmar, where they remained devout, active members throughout their lives. Bill coached youth hockey and baseball in Willmar, was a founding member of the Willmar Blue Line Club, helped organize youth hockey tournaments, and helped raise funds for youth sports. Bill and Joan were named Willmar Hockey Parents of the Year.

Bill became known in Willmar as someone who got involved, helped out, and did so with a sense of pleasant collaboration and positivity that was contagious and impossible to ignore. Bill served on the Willmar School Board and after retiring from AT&T, worked as a guardian ad litem for Kandiyohi County. He was a member of the American Legion and the Elks Club. He served on the Diamond Lake Board. He and Joan did volunteer work in the Willmar area regularly.

Bill and Joan loved to travel. After retiring, Bill and Joan loved driving to Arizona to see the sights and be with their children and grandchildren. They wintered in Yuma, Ariz., for many years. In July 2013, Bill, Joan, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchild gathered in San Diego to celebrate Bill and Joan's 50th wedding anniversary.

Most of all, Bill loved just being with his family and friends, laughing, joking, helping, loving and sharing in their lives. He was famously compassionate and had a playful, irresistible sense of humor. No one can forget Bill's awesome smile and infectious laugh.

Bill is survived by his wife, Joan of Atwater; four children, Tim (and Monica) Schultz of Falcon Heights, Minn., Amy (and Ray) Plummer of Anthem, Ariz., Brenda (and Erik) Brandt of Yuma, Ariz., and Brad (and Bridget) Schultz of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.; eight grandchildren, Samantha (and Bobby) Bouzanquet, Allison and Carley Keeme, Connor and Declan Schultz, Andrea and Riley Brandt, and Grace Schultz; two great-grandchildren, Gabriel Keeme and Emma Germain; three brothers, Norman Schultz of Princeton, Minn., Carl Schultz of Aitkin, Minn., and Roy Schultz of Gilbert, Ariz.; and one sister, Barbara Smerud of Mesa, Ariz.; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Gladys Schultz; sister, Janet Blashill; father-in-law Earl Wittman; mother-in-law Leone Wittman; sister-in-law Patricia Schultz; brother-in-law Bob Smerud; and brother-in-law Peter Blashill.

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