William Joseph Spelius, 87, of Burley, Idaho, died in his home surrounded by family on Sept. 11, 2008.
A longtime resident of Deerfield, Ill., William had moved to Burley to be closer to Sun Valley, Idaho and his children who were residing in Utah and Idaho. Born in Waukesha, Wisc., on Oct. 29, 1920, William graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California in 1947. A World War II veteran, he married Carol Spelius (Doherty) of Montana on Oct. 18, 1947, and shortly thereafter began his lifetime engineering career with Harnischfeger Corp. of Milwaukee, Wisc.
While he was at Cal, William started skiing and developed his love for the sport, Sun Valley and Idaho. He visited Sun Valley every year from the end of the war and made sure his entire family could ski and enjoy Sun Valley with him. He had been awarded a lifetime season pass by the Sun Valley Co. and skied till he was 85 years old.
William is survived by his wife, Carol Spelius (Doherty); his daughters, Christine and Susan; his sons, Wayne, Chris and recently adopted Bill Horvath. He has two granddaughters, Heidi and Chiloe, and five grandsons, Chris, Andrew, Michael, Ari and Harley. His nephew, Byron Doherty, had moved to Burley to help with the care of William.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Campus Grove at Albion. There are limited accommodations provided by the family in Albion for those traveling from out of town. Viewings are Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 6-8 p.m. and final viewing on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Further information and questions can be answered by calling (208) 678-6378.
