William "Bill" F. Conklin Sr.

He married JoAnn Bingheim on September 18, 1957; she preceded him in death on February 15, 2003. He was also preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Louie Conklin and Bud Conklin; nieces, Linda and Leah; and his twin cats, Little Bit and Jo Jo.

Bill is survived by his loving family, in which he gave everyone a special nickname. His beloved children, William “Billy” “Monk the Skunk” Conklin Jr., of Collinsville, IL and Becky Jo “Chopper” (Gary “Bigfoot”) Peitz of West Point, IA; grandchildren, Mandy “Chipmunk” (Steven “Bulldog”) Lykins of Caseyville, IL, William “Rusty” (Dawn “Sunrise”) Conklin III of Godfrey, IL, Nealie “Lefty” (Brian “Bernie”) Baird of Lenoir, TN, Nicholas “Little Foot” (Laura “Destiny’s Child”) Peitz of Ft. Madison, IA, and Cassandra JoAnn “Tater” (Damian “Angus”) Sheerin of Derry, Ireland; great-grandchildren, MaKayla JoAnn “Thumper”, Tanner “Rip”, Everett “Little Rusty”, Wren “Jenny Wren”, Connor, Claira, Gavin “Stormy”, Nolan “Sparky”, Easton” “Scrappy”, Sofi “Tater Tot”, Ellie “Wee Tater Tot”, Rhὀna “Tiny Tot”; brother, Scott “Red” (Sandy) Conklin of Kentucky; his lifelong best friend, Charlie Summers; his girls, KeKe and Geri, his beloved dog and cat; and many nieces, nephews and close friends.

Bill was a graduate of O’Fallon Township High School and proudly served his country in the United States Navy. He served aboard the USS Marias, as a Yeoman, alongside his brother Louie. He was a dedicated and hard worker, working well into his 80s. He served his community as a member of the Caseyville Library Board, Caseyville Planning and Zoning Board and on the True Worship Church Board in Caseyville.

He was a member of the Elks Lodge, the Moose Lodge in Caseyville and the Caseyville VFW.

Bill loved playing softball and played well into his 60s. Softball brought him years of joy and great times with the various teams he played on. He was inducted into the Belleville Fast Pitch Softball Hall of Fame in 1989. He loved to bowl, golf and even enjoyed sky diving with his son, Billy. When Billy was young, Bill managed the Khoury League baseball team, going undefeated for the season and they took home the first place trophy. Bill was also a talented writer and wrote many articles for the local newspaper.

Although his loss leaves a painful void, the many memories Bill created with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be cherished forever.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to his church, True Worship Church in Caseyville, IL or to the Metro East Humane Society, as Bill loved and cared for animals throughout his life.

VISITATION: A visitation for Bill will be held on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 from 4:00 P.M.- 8:00 P.M. at Lake View Funeral Home, Fairview Heights, IL. The family asks that everyone wear their St. Louis Cardinal attire, to share the love Bill had for his favorite team.

SERVICE- A funeral service will be held on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Henry Lewis officiating. A visitation will be held an hour prior to the service, from 10:00 A.M.- 11:00 A.M.

Interment will follow at Lake View Memorial Gardens, where military honors will be rendered.