William Lee Van Dierendonck
March 28, 1936 ~ April 14, 2024
William “Bill” Lee Van Dierendonck, 88, of Princeton passed away on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at OSF St. Clare Hospital in Princeton.
Bill was born on March 28, 1936 in Kewanee the son of Bernard and Hattie (Middleton) Van Dierendonck. He married Janice Ziegler on July 27, 1957 in Kewanee. She preceded him in death on July 11, 2015.
Bill graduated from Kewanee High School in 1954. He served in the United States Army and Army National Guard from 1958 until retiring in 1978. Bill owned and operated Bill’s Standard Service in Princeton from 1960-1966. He then worked for Princeton Ready Mix and P&R Service from 1966-1968. He finished his career as a Maintenance Supervisor at J&L/LTV Steel, retiring in 1998.
Bill enjoyed collecting and restoring antique cars. His favorite was his 1923 Hupmoblie Touring Car which took him on many adventures including numerous car shows over the years, a visit to the Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH and the NFL Super Bowl in Miami, FL. He was also the founder of the Bureau County Homestead Festival Car Show.
Bill was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church in Princeton. Most of all he cherished spending time with his family and friends, always willing to help others.
Survivors include his two children, Randal (Kristina) Van Dierendonck of Mandeville, LA and Cindy Van Dierendonck of Naperville, IL; two grandchildren, William and Emily Van Dierendonck; one sister, Barbara (Jim) Breedlove of Walworth, WI; along with many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, parents and six siblings; Robert Van Dierendonck, Mary Wright, Dorothy Lanxon, Elaine Marks, Sally Schertzer and James Van Dierendonck.
Visitation will be held from 9:00am until time of service at 11:00am on Friday, April 19, 2024 at Grant-Johnson Funeral Home in Princeton with Reverend Ryan Sutton officiating. Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery in Princeton with military honors.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to First United Methodist Church in Princeton, IL.
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
My prayers and thoughts are with Bill’s family. Bill was my classmate in the Kewanee class of 1954 and he was very loved. He had a wonderful sense of humor and he made every class reunion fun for every one. He will be very missed. R.I.P. dear friend.
So sorry for your loss. I worked with your dad @ J&L. He was a great guy and a wonderful man to work with. I will keep u in my thoughts and prayers.
Bill will be missed by all who knew him. We had many conversations at the Coffee Cup over our many days together at J&L and LTV Steel. He was a very good friend.
A fellow FORD lover too!
So sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. Our condolences to his family. I was in his maintenance platoon in the National Guard. He was a great leader.
Condolences to all in Bill’s family. He was always one to brighten the day. My dad was friends with and worked with Bill for many years at J&L , and I worked there myself with him for a few years . His knowledge and enthusiasm for cars was boundless. He touched many hearts….may he encounter many blessings on his journey.
Bill , And his entire family , Helped our family throughout there years here In Princeton.. His sense of humor, Thoughtfulness, encouragement , And sense of Duty, Never varied. .Our prayers and hearts are with the entire family. Only thing he was afraid of was his Daughters driving … RIP**** Big Times,,
Bill was one cf my favorite people of all time – I loved chatting with him on the phone for hours about Hupmobiles. He helped me so much with finding parts and showing me how to do repairs on my Hupmobile. He was a great friend, and I made three trips out to Princeton over the years to visit. He and Jan always made me feel like a member of the family. I will miss him…… Vaya con Dios, Bill.