William "Bill" Seid

William “Bill” Seid, 86, joined Jesus on Christmas morning after suffering a stroke on December 14, 2012. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in West Des Moines with burial at Resthaven Cemetery.

Bill was born in Des Moines on March 20, 1926 to Clarence and Katharine Seid. He enlisted in the Navy where he saw active duty during WWII and the Korean War serving as radioman on the USS Mountrail. Bill graduated from Drake University with a degree in business in 1950 and was a lifelong resident of the Des Moines area. He was a commercial real estate broker for nearly 40 years. He married his wife, Lanae and raised their family in West Des Moines. He and Lanae have been active members of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in West Des Moines since 1981.

Bill was an avid fisherman and spent nearly every spring and fall with his buddies pursuing walleyes throughout the lakes of Northern Minnesota and Western Ontario. He was passionate about food and excelled at cooking, especially Chinese cuisine before it was popular to do so. He was an eternal optimist, he was lively and fun and full of energy and colorful stories.

Bill is survived by his wife of 60 years, Lanae; two sons, John Eric of Des Moines and Christopher William of Yarmouth, Maine; three grandchildren, Jonathan “JJ” Seid of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Luca and Ava Seid of Yarmouth, Maine; great-granddaughter, Eisley; and a sister, Carol (Pete) Johnson of Wyoming, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his brother, Robert.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at McLaren’s Chapel in West Des Moines.