William Charles Lada

1957 – 2022

William Charles Lada, 65, passed away on October 1, 2022, in Rapid City, South Dakota.  He was born on February 17, 1957, in Elmhurst, Illinois.  Bill married Constance Sue Kruse on August 18, 1979.

He is survived by his wife, Connie, with whom he spent 46 years; their children, Jennifer (Dario) Melendez, Brooke (Tim) Van de Kamp, Anthony (Ellen) Lada and Mark (Fiancée Julia Werderitch) Lada; their seven grandchildren: Chase, Layla, Keira, Otis, Arlo, Penelope, and George; his mother, Mary Lou Lada; his brother, Robert Lada; and several nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his father, Ronald C. Lada; and his sister, Susan Capper.

Bill's family was his pride and joy, and he was always there for them as their biggest supporter.   He enjoyed visiting with family and friends, and especially liked just being at home with Connie. One expression of his love was cooking for his family; he always had a meal ready on a moment's notice, and he never let anyone leave without food, treats for the kids, and bear hugs.  His many interests included sports, particularly track & field and cross-country, world trade, traveling, boating and motorcycle riding, but "Grampy's" favorite pastime was babysitting his much-loved grandchildren.  Bill was a fun, larger-than-life, one-of-a-kind guy who always made time to help others.  A born storyteller, Bill enjoyed entertaining people with his tales, and never let the truth get in the way of a good story.  To him, a stranger was just a friend he hadn't met yet.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2022, from 1-4pm at the Johnsburg Community Club 2315 W Church St, Johnsburg, IL 60051.  A short service will be held at 2pm, where friends are invited to share their memories of Bill.

Bill was fond of saying that he was going to live forever. He will surely live forever in the hearts of his loved ones.