William "Bill" H. Gokenbach, 72, died Sunday October 7, 2012 at his home surrounded by his family. He was born December 8, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri to the late William and Bertha Louise Gokenbach. Bill grew up in St. Clair Shores, Michigan and attended South Lake High School where he was an all around athlete participating in many sports with some of his records still holding at South Lake. After high school, he attended training camp with the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Florida.
He moved to Kendallville, Indiana in 1973 with his position as manufacturing engineer/plant manager at McIntosh Corporation and later worked for King-Seeley in Kendallville for many years until their closure. Bill worked in security at Lutheran Hospital for 20 years and loved to help people. He was a volunteer firefighter for the Kendallville Fire Dept. for 22 years and also worked on the Noble County EMS stationed at McCray Memorial Hospital. He served on the Board of Directors at the Kendallville YMCA and coached youth soccer, baseball and basketball.
He was a talented artist who loved woodworking, drawing and designing unique walking sticks, and wooden eggs for various occasions, especially Halloween and Easter - he was known to many as the "Egg-man".
He was an avid outdoorsman who especially enjoyed fishing, and to hunt deer. He loved to feed and watch the birds and ducks in his back yard. Bill also loved golf and travel.
Surviving are his wife of 34 years, Jill Palmer, sons William Michael "Mike", James (Balla), daughters, Cheryl Sieracki, Susan (Gary) Meldrum, brother Richard "Rick" (Val), sisters, Nancy (Robert) Stewart, Shirley (Phil) LeEsperance, aunt Joan Pyne (Charles), eight grandchildren, Jessica, Melissa, AJ, Kelsey, Jacquelynn, Julia, Drake and Dillonand one granddog, Buddy.
Service is 11:00 a.m. Thursday October 11, 2012 at Covington Memorial Funeral Home 8408 Covington Rd., Ft. Wayne, IN 46804 with calling 1 hour prior to service. There is also calling Wednesday 2-4 and 6-8 at the funeral home. Burial in Covington Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Preferred Memorials to Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home, or the Kendallville Volunteer Fire Dept.
To send online condolences, please visit www.covingtonmemorial.com.