William Nelson

William 'Bill' Nelson, 90, of Champaign died on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020 at home. 

There will be a graveside funeral service on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10am at Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign. Military rites will be accorded. Visitation will be private. Owens Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 

Bill was born on Feb. 5, 1930 in Champaign, 1 of 7 children born to Monroe and Edith (Whitt) Nelson. Bill was a proud veteran, serving in the Army National Guard until he was called to serve in the Korean war as a tank commander. He quickly rose thru the ranks, reaching Sergeant First Class, before earning an honorable discharge. Once Bill returned home to Champaign, he met the love of his life, Vivian Moore, and they were married on Sep. 24, 1960. Bill was preceded in death by his love, Vivian; 2 sisters and 3 of his brothers. 

He is survived by his daughter, Kimberly Dalluge of Champaign; his grandson, Robbie Dalluge of Savoy and 1 brother, Charles Nelson of Champaign. 

Bill worked at a couple of local HVAC companies before starting his own business, Nelson Heating and Cooling in 1985. He owned and operated this business until his retirement when he was 85 years old, in 2015. Bill had a magnetic personality that drew people in. He was a man that loved to give and was very generous with his time and talents. On summer weekends, he enjoyed going to garage sales with Kimberly and Robbie, followed by a meal at Courier Cafe, where he had been a regular since it's opening. 

The family would like to acknowledge several people that were important in Bill's life: Liz Kauwell, Brad Kirby (dirty face kid), Emily Brown, Andrea Palivos, Jennifer Musson, Christy Carlson and Peggy Branch. The family also wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to all of the workers of Carle Hospice for their excellent, loving care of Bill; especially Rick and Angela.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Bladder Cancer Society.

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