William Steven Ignowski

William Steven “Bill” Ignowski, 73, of Oconto Falls died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, in Green Bay.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, at Lyndahl Funeral Home and Cremation Services at 1350 Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay. Visitation will begin at 2 p.m. at the funeral home. His body will be cremated.

He was born June 15, 1946, in Loup City, Neb., to Christian and Lucille (Knutzen) Ignowski. He graduated from Loup City High School with the class of 1964 and attended Kearney State College. He served in the Army National Guard in the early 1970s.

Bill was father to three children, Amy Ignowski and Audrey Ignowski of Lenexa, Kan., and Adam Ignowski of Colorado Springs, Colo.

He had lived in Oconto Falls with his life partner, Carla J. Hedtke, since 1994.

He was an independent retailer owning his own clothing business in Ord, Neb., had worked in human resources for Sears and had worked in retail for J.C. Penney. He was an entrepreneur who produced spaghetti sauce under the Papa Bill’s name brand. He was a volunteer with Kingdom Come food pantry in Oconto Falls.

His passion was cooking and feeding friends and family. He enjoyed carpentry, fishing and golf. He was more than an avid reader and could talk at length about a wide range of topics.

He loved the river and living on the river because of his great respect for nature and for preserving the environment.

He was a member of the Environmental Defense Fund, the Sierra Club, American Legion Post 48 in Loup City, the Knights of Columbus and the National World War II Museum.

Survivors include his children, Amy Ignowski and Audrey Ignowski of Lenexa and Adam Ignowski and his wife, Elesa, their children, Chloe and Christian, all of Colorado Springs and Adam’s son, Dylan Ignowski and Dylan’s daughter Rhylee Jo, both of Derby, Kan.; Bill’s life partner, Carla J. Hedtke of Oconto Falls; Carla’s daughter Michelle Virtues and her husband, Pat, and their children Jacob and Kayla, all of Little Suamico, and Carla’s son, Michael Hedtke and his wife, Sally, and their children Evan and Lee of Crystal Falls, Mich.; and Bill’s sisters, Christine Makowski and her husband, Bob, of Lincoln, Neb., and Julie Speirs and her husband, Dan, of Kearney, Neb.; and other family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Sharon (Nokes), the mother of his children, his wife, Kathy (Nichols); his parents; and an infant brother, Joseph.

Memorials are to the family for designation later.

Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos may be shared with Bill’s family on his tribute page at www.lyndahl.com.

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