William "Bill" Willis

William W. "Bill" Willis, age 82, passed away at St. Gabriel's Community surrounded by his family on August 29, 2017, from advanced Parkinson's disease. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Monday, September 11, 2017, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 106 Osage Ave., Bismarck, with Rev. Craig A. Schweitzer officiating. Burial will be held at 2:00 pm at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Sunday, September 10, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 4:00 pm. Bill was born on April 26, 1935, in Great Falls, MT.  He graduated from Great Falls High School in 1953 and earned his bachelor degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 1965. Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army, attained the rank of Sergeant, and served as an Intelligence Analyst, 66th Military Intelligence Group, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany, 1959-1962. Bill first served the FBI as Security Patrol Clerk, Denver, 1954-1958.  Following military service, he was employed in the title insurance business at Boulder until completing his education and appointment as Special Agent with the FBI in 1965.  His assignments included San Diego and Minneapolis, and Bismarck, ND as Senior Resident Agent (SRA), Supervisory SRA, and Firearms and Defensive Tactics Instructor, 1965-1986. Following retirement, he worked as an independent contractor with the CIA, FBI and other federal agencies for 23 years.Bill enjoyed downhill skiing in Colorado for many years and continued his love of the sport in Switzerland and Bavaria while in the Army.  He had private pilot licenses in the U.S. and Germany, flying until retirement from the FBI.  He loved travel, hiking, biking (pedal and motor), camping, boating, water skiing and canoeing with his family, particularly on Swan Lake near Glacier National Park and on the Missouri River. Bill considered himself blessed many times over by the love of his wife, two children, and four grandchildren, all living within minutes of his residence. Bill and Nancy (Boyer) were married at Falls Church, VA in 1965, in a ceremony performed by her father, a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Bill was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Bismarck Kiwanis Club (45 years), American Legion, life member of the Elks Lodge, ND Peace Officers Association and the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.  Bill and Nancy volunteered at the ND Heritage Center and were presented with the Volunteer Hospitality Award by the State Historical Society of ND in 2014. Bill is deeply loved and will be greatly missed by his wife, Nancy, of 52 years; his son, Bill III (Annette); his daughter, Karin (Drew Steichen); his grandchildren, Jack Willis, Alex, Sierra and Aspen Steichen, all of Bismarck; his sister, Kathie Riggs, Billings, MT; special cousins, Shirley and Roger Lots, Great Falls, MT, and so many other dear friends, relatives and colleagues.  He was preceded in death by his parents, William W. Willis and Lucille (nee Oliver) Riggs; stepfather, John “Jack” Riggs; and grandparents, Samuel and Katherine (nee Fraser) Oliver. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the Bismarck Kiwanis Foundation and the Central Dakota Humane Society.