A Memorial Service and celebration of the life for William Hackel will be held this Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Colonial Chapel, 15525 S. 73rd Ave. (155th/Wheeler Dr. & Harlem) Orland Park, IL. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon with a Memorial Service at 12:00 Noon. A Luncheon will follow the Memorial Service to continue to celebrate Bill's life at Jenny’s Steak House, 11041 Menard Avenue, Chicago Ridge, IL 60415.

Bill was a fighter, always thinking and moving forward but unfortunately he had a variety of health challenges which he was attempting to treat homeopathically. Sadly, he reached a point when he could not fight any longer.

Bill was larger than life, both literally and figuratively, and was truly a force of nature. He was the kind of person who could walk into a room and own it in a matter of minutes. He was a paradox for sure, in that he could be incredibly calming, sensitive and generous one moment, and an absolute unpredictable hurricane the next. Bill was not the kind of guy you could set your watch by, but if you needed him, he was there 100%. He would gladly give you the XXL shirt off his back without a second thought.

Bill's greatest gift was his unabashed enthusiasm for life. He was a positive, enthusiastic guy who embraced life in a big way and would try just about anything once. He loved the outdoors, and was happiest when he was out in nature skiing, golfing, fishing or just enjoying his boat on Lake Michigan. Most of all he enjoyed people. He was a plain-spoken man who would tell you what he thought, and he was constantly learning and expanding his knowledge by exploring a wide variety of topics from history, to health, to the economy, and beyond. Bill was totally crazy about his soul mate and best friend Laura as well as her daughter Megan, and they were both the absolute center of his life for the past eighteen years.

Bill was born on April 6, 1953 in Evergreen Park, IL to Robert and Lorraine Hackel. Bill attended Evergreen Park High School, where he excelled at sports and graduated College from Bradley University. Bill was a born entrepreneur and painted houses while in high school and college. Upon graduation, he dove into the contracting business and built an enterprise that he owned and operated for many years.

Bill was preceded in death by his younger brother, Robbie Gerhardt Hackel and his beloved mother Lorraine Nellie Hackel . He is survived by his father Robert William Hackel and his sister Dawn Lorraine Ives( Hackel), brother-in-law Morgan Butler Ives, nieces Ali Morgan Lofton (Ives), ( Zachary Aaron Lofton) and Mackenzi Dawn Ives; his loving girlfriend and Best Friend, Laura Jean (Honey Bun) Geraghty, and her daughter Megan Nicole (Lil Bear) Geraghty.