William Myers

William "Bill" LeRoy Myers, age 84, passed away peacefully on the morning of September 19, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, MN. He was surrounded by family during the final week of his life, and we can only imagine Grandma was there with him in his final breath.

Grandpa Bill was born on May 18, 1942, to Carl and Rita Myers in Albert Lea, MN, where he grew up alongside his sister, Shirley Benson, and brothers, Jack Myers and Steven Myers.

Grandpa left school early to answer the call to serve his country, joining the United States Navy on September 16, 1960, and serving honorably as a Seaman (SN E-3) deckhand aboard the USS Taconic (AGC-17) until September 11, 1964. Later in life, he earned his GED, a reminder that it's never too late to keep learning and accomplishing new things. After his time in the Navy, Grandpa began his working career at Wilson's in the 1960s, where he worked until a back injury forced him into early retirement in the mid-1980s.

Grandpa married his best friend and sweetheart, Grandma Judy, on August 6, 1966, at First Baptist Church in Clarks Grove, MN. They would have celebrated 60 wonderful years together.

Grandma and Grandpa raised their two children, Troy Allen and Holly Sue, in their Albert Lea home. No matter how old their babies got, they never stopped taking care of them.

Grandpa Bill was known as "Grandpa Bill" to far more than just his own grandchildren. He and Grandma were everyone's grandparents, opening their hearts and caring for so many beyond their own family. They were dearly loved by our friends, neighbors, and everyone who knew them.

Grandma and Grandpa were active members of the Eagles Club since the late 1960s and both volunteered with the Cancer Telethon. From 1971 to 1975, Grandpa was also part of the Eagles' degree team, which proudly brought home two national titles during those four years. They loved being around people and involved in their community, whether helping with events or welcoming the entire neighborhood into their garage for football Sundays.

For many years, Grandpa also looked forward to meeting up with his coffee buddies every week to enjoy a cup of coffee, catch up, and share good conversation. Those weekly get-togethers were a cherished part of his routine and a reflection of how much he enjoyed the friendships and connections he made throughout his life.

Grandpa Bill was an incredibly talented woodworker. From the iconic wooden crosses many of you have hanging in your homes to building entire decks for neighbors, he could create just about anything with exceptional attention to detail. His craftsmanship lives on through his son-in-law, Jaime, his eldest grandson, Tyler John, and his youngest grandson, Nicolas.

That attention to detail extended beyond woodworking. Just ask the neighbors-Grandpa kept his lawn immaculate. When Grandpa Bill mowed, everyone else had better get out and mow, too. There were no rest days!

Grandpa took the time to teach us his skills so they could be passed down through future generations of our family. It wasn't just about perfect lawns or beautiful craftsmanship; he treasured the quality time spent teaching us. He may never have realized just how deeply we would cherish this piece of himself after saying goodbye. We are so grateful he shared it with us.

Grandpa loved watching all his grandchildren compete in our sporting events and was always one of our biggest supporters. He especially cherished watching his grandson Nic wrestle, never missing a match. Grandpa was Nic's biggest fan and was incredibly proud of him.

After Grandma passed, we thought Grandpa would soon follow because we knew how much he missed his best friend. Instead, we were blessed with six more years with him, and we will forever be grateful for that time.

During those years, Grandpa gained two roommates, Cali and Matt, for a year. There are many iconic grandpa highlights they will forever remember fondly - hearing Dr. Phil blasting from across town, the Sunday alarm clock being, "I'm goin' for a ride!" and hearing him snacking on his ice cream cone for his midnight snack to name a few. It's impossible to keep a straight face when remembering grandpa. He eventually gained another great grandson from Cali and Matt. They named him Johnathan William, after his wonderful great grandfather. We can already tell Johnny has his great grandpa's mischievous nature!

His daughter, Holly Sue, especially treasured those six years caring for her dad. She always called him her "bestie," and they truly were. He loved spending that extra time with her and appreciated her care more than words could express. She made sure he could continue enjoying his favorite rituals, from car rides and trips to the barber to lunches together and keeping him stocked with his favorite goodies at the nursing home-especially Bush Light.

Grandpa had an incredibly loving heart, an iconic sense of humor, and a love for coffee that lasted until the very end. There are so many wonderful things to say about our grandpa, but above all, we are beyond blessed to have been loved by him.

Grandpa has too many iconic jokes and grandpa-isms to name them all but as his grandkids, we feel it's essential to list off a few honorable mentions, and if you know, you know:

● The quarter pounder

● The stool sample

● Magic tricks

● Candy for the kids

● The nose twitches

● Peanuts & popcorn

● "See ya later alligator"

● SQUIRREL

Grandpa Bill is survived by his children, Troy (Kellie) Myers and Holly (Jaime) Cantu; siblings, Shirley (Tom) Benson, Jack Myers, and Steve (Helen) Myers; grandchildren, Tyler Nelson (Lydena Lyn), Brianna Myers (Kyle Dunly), Brittany (Derek) Kilby, Brandi Myers, Cali (Matthew) Ferrier, Hallie Cantu, and Nicolas (Mallory) Cantu; and great-grandchildren, Gracie Kilby, Nolan and Mason Dunly, Devine Young, and Johnathan William Ferrier.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Judith "Judy" Myers; his parents, Carl and Rita Myers; and his parents-in-law, Clayton and Bessy Lunning.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to St. Croix Hospice and Station 4 at Good Samaritan Society for the wonderful care, kindness, and compassion they gave Grandpa Bill during his final days. We are forever grateful for the comfort and support they provided to him and our family.

A memorial service will be held at Bonnerup Funeral Home, 2210 East Main Street, Albert Lea, 56007, on October 24, 2026, at 12 PM, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Clarks Grove Cemetery.

The live stream link below is a complimentary service provided by Bonnerup Funeral & Cremation Services.

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