William "Bill" Earl Buckner, 76, of Monticello, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, October 15, after coping with debilitating injuries sustained in a car accident eight years ago. The eldest son of Donald and Earlene (Battles) Buckner, Bill attended Monticello Community Schools and worked for Quality Castings and Energy Manufacturing in Monticello. He later joined Rockwell Goss in Cedar Rapids, where he worked as a machinist and crane operator for more than 30 years until the company closed in 2001. He then fulfilled a longtime desire to drive semi-truck, which he did for several years before returning to Energy. He retired in 2012.

Well known as a thrill-seeker, Bill explored many hobbies and interests over the years, including hunting, snowmobiling, piloting airplanes, ice fishing, and open-water scuba diving. He eventually became an avid walleye fisherman, proudly adopting the nickname ‘Walleye Willy’ and making many trips to lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where he loved casting a line and patiently waiting for the challenge of reeling in a fighter. When the trips to the lake came to an end, Bill kept his passion for walleye fishing alive by handcrafting hundreds of intricate fishing lures and jigs specifically designed for walleye. He proudly labeled each one “Little Billy.”

He was married to Ann (Oswald) for 40 years. She survives him as well as four daughters, Angie Wicke, Renee (Jim) Ferentchak, Melissa (Brian) Lane, and Heather (Joe) Wilensky; seven grandchildren; and siblings, Donna Rohr, Dianne Haag, Richard (Janet) Buckner, and Debra (David) Claus. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Robert, and two brothers-in-law, Gerry Rohr and Jerry Haag.

Private family services will be held at the Goettsch Funeral Home in Monticello with interment at the Oakwood Cemetery.