Bill Egger, loving Husband, Dad, and Grumpa, passed away on March 27, 2021 at the age of 81. His final days were spent surrounded by his loving family.
Bill was born on September 6, 1939, in St. Paul, MN, to Bernard and Wilhelmina “Minnie” (Shultz) Egger.
Bill was a veteran who proudly served his country in the US Army from 1956-1959. He enjoyed deer hunting and fishing up north with his family. He was a patient man who loved to be surrounded by nature, although, maybe not so patient when it came to watching the evening news. He especially loved target shooting with his grandchildren. Throughout his life, Bill’s best friends included his Border Collies, Midge, Izzy, and Mitchell. Bill was known for his quick wit, his kind spirit, and his infinite love for those close to him.
He attended Washington High School in St. Paul, MN. From there he enlisted in the US Army where he served as a Specialist in the 143rd Missile Battalion and there he worked on air to air missiles. After his military service, Bill married his first wife, Bev, and had 3 children, Janette, Bill, and Ben. He then went on to pursue opportunities in management, which led him to working at National Can as a supervisor. Starting the next chapter of his life, Bill married Loretta on November 14, 1987, where the two families were blended as one. Now, with 5 additional children, Jim, John, Tom, Shelly, and David, the family became the epitome of “Yours, Mine, and Ours,” and it continued to grow every year. As his family grew, Bill chose to further his education. He attended Century Community College where he graduated with an Associates Degree in Hazardous Materials Management. After receiving his degree, Bill worked for the Minnesota State Patrol, as a Weigh Station Truck Inspector. Unfortunately, 5 months later there was a reduction in the force and he had to leave the job he loved. Thanks to Tom, Bill found a new passion driving truck. He then went on to work at Twin Cities News with Tom, John, and Ben, where he ultimately retired. Following retirement, Bill and Loretta decided to move to Northern Minnesota to fulfill their dream of spending their days fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. Although they enjoyed being in God’s Country, after 17 years they chose to move back to the cities to be close to family. The house that Bill and Loretta chose to call home in Coon Rapids, MN became the gathering place for many events including birthdays, holidays, parties and milestone events such as Bill and Loretta’s 80th birthdays. Most recently, Bill celebrated 33 years of marriage with the love of his life, Loretta.
Bill is survived by his wife, Loretta; his 8 children, Jim, John (Cindy), Tom (Pam), Janette (Terry), Bill (Cindy), Ben (Stephanie), Shelly (Terry), and David (Rochelle); his 19 grandchildren; Chandra (Dave), Sovanny, Jenny, Julie (Aron), Jill (Jon), Tracy, Jordanne, Christy (Rich), Cory, Katie (Brooks), Jessica, Michael, Emily, Ashley, Steven, Kylie, Cole, Matthew, and Ashley; his 21 great grandchildren; Hannah (Derek), Jasmine, Michael, Lindzee, Cian, Alexis, Nina, AJ, Aiden, Silas, Kieran, Kain, Mia, Aria, Jaxon, Juno, Avalyn, Evan, Autumn, Arro, and Wesley; his 1 great great grandchild, Clarity; his brother, Jim (Kathy); his first wife, Bev (Susan); and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other beloved family and friends.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Minnie; his siblings, Donna, Rose, Alice and Tom; his grandchildren, Troy, Austin, and Amelia; his 3 beloved poochie pants pups, Midge, Izzy, and Mitchell; and other beloved family and friends.
Open Visitation will be from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on April 10th, 2021, immediately followed by a private ceremony at Gearhart Funeral Home in Coon Rapids, MN. For those not attending the private ceremony, there will be an open house from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at the American Legion in Anoka, MN where the ceremony will be livestreamed at 1:00 pm. You may also view the livestream at home via the link below. The burial is scheduled for April 12th, 2021 at 11:00 am at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. If you would like to attend the burial, please contact the family for more information. Masks and social distancing will be required at all services due to the COVID19 pandemic.
The family is asking everyone to add photos and memories of Bill in the comments below. These will be added to a memory book provided by the Funeral Home. Please share these via the link below. Thank you for your love and support.
And remember...
Don’t behave, have fun.
