Obituary of William "Bill" F. Knoerle

William “Bill” F. Knoerle, 82, of Camdenton, passed away Sunday, February 19, 2023 at Arrowhead Senior Living, Osage Beach, Missouri. 

Bill was born October 20,1940 in Peoria, IL, a son of Emil and Lea Merdian Knoerle. He married Nancy Peel on September 15,1963. She preceded him in death in March 1973. He later married Darlene Swanson on April 19,1975 and she preceded him in death in July 2022. He was also preceded in death by his parents and son, Steven Knoerle. Surviving is one son, Michael (Dana) Knoerle; five grandchildren, Anna, Hope, Michael, Jace and Bryleigh; and one brother, Joe (Susan) Knoerle.  

Bill, Coach K, was a teacher and coach for over thirty years in the Toluca (Fieldcrest) School District.  He thoroughly enjoyed coaching his players, including his sons. In 1999, upon retirement, Bill and Darlene moved to Camdenton, MO where Bill worked in maintenance at the Sleep Inn & Suites. A few years later, he was diagnosed with dementia and had to resign from that position. Darlene took care of him for a couple years until he moved into the memory care unit of Arrowhead Senior Living in September, 2019. A special thank you to the nurses and staff in the memory care unit for taking care of “Billiam” for over three years. Bill was a very kind and hard working man. He loved being outdoors, so he could fish and bird watch. In his spare time, he also enjoyed doing word searches, collecting duck decoys, and traveling. But nothing brought him more joy than spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Bill was an amazing person. Anyone who met him was lucky to get to know him. 

A visitation will be held for Bill on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm at Community Christian Church in Camdenton, Missouri with services following. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.