Willie Jungling 1946 – 2025 Anoka, MN The life of the party and all-around good guy A loving husband, caring father and grandpa, youth sports coach and dedicated golfer. Obituary An amazing, decades-long streak of being the life of the party at every event he attended came to an end Sunday, May 18, with the passing of William (Willie) Jungling of Anoka. Willie died peacefully in his sleep after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He had reached the age of 79. The day before he passed, he shared how proud he was of his wife Kate and his family. He was filled with gratitude for the adventures they all shared. Crescent Tide Cremation Services of St. Paul is handling arrangements. A celebration of life will be held Monday, June 9, at Greenhaven Golf Course Clubhouse in Anoka from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Willie spent many happy hours playing this course, so please join us for his "last round" there. Casual dress, please. Willie didn't care for stuffy shirts and ties. Willie embraced with enthusiasm and kindness all the roles that life assigned him: Husband. Dad. Grandpa. Brother. Friend. Neighbor. Coach. Farm boy. High school sports star. Salesman. Entrepreneur. Dedicated golfer. Dog lover. If there was a way to have fun, he found it and he made sure everybody came along for the ride. “No one could command a room the way Willie could,’’ said longtime friend Bill Leach. Willie was born Jan. 16, 1946, to Bill and Evelyn (Vietor) Jungling. He grew up on the family farm south of Parkersburg and completed his early grades at the nearby country school, riding his pony Ted to and from on some days. In high school, Willie played baseball, basketball, football and ran track. Baseball was his first love, but it was football where he made his mark. He led the Parkersburg Crusaders to their first conference title, scoring the winning touchdown to clinch the championship during his senior year in 1964. Willie met the love of his life, Kate, at the University of Northern Iowa, from which they both graduated. The two were married for 57 years and had three children: Jill, Josh and Kami. They made their life in Cedar Falls, then Parkersburg. The couple moved to Anoka in the early 1980s, where Willie worked in sales and then started a carpet-cleaning business. Willie and Kate instantly made friends wherever they went and enjoyed wintering in Arizona later in life. A highlight of their time together: watching their grandsons play sports. Willie was a hands-on dad and had high expectations. He helped Jill learn how to show her horse and Holstein cow. To give her an edge at horse shows, he set up barrels and made her practice this rodeo race over and over, standing there with a stopwatch and then saying, “do it again.” For his son Josh, Willie served as a youth coach for multiple sports, becoming a friend and surrogate dad to other boys on the teams. He and Josh had a memorable moment in 2008, when they sneaked out on Mother’s Day for a quick round of golf and shot back-to-back holes-in-one at Northfork Golf Course. With Kami, he shared a love of scary movies and going to haunted houses around Halloween. He supported her going into nursing and provided encouragement as she completed her master’s degree. A moment that could only happen if Willie was your dad: In Parkersburg, he indulged a crazy idea his kids and their friends came up with. It was to run through the cemetery after dark near Halloween as a bravery test. He loaded up everyone in a pickup, dropped them off at the far end and then laughed as scared-silly kids screamed and hurdled tombstones with Olympic-athlete speed. Not surprisingly, Willie loved being a grandpa and was always someone that the grandkids could turn to when they needed a loving but firm sounding board. He always had a kind word for other children and loved pets, especially dogs. The family is grateful to Ron and Rochelle Hook for their lifelong friendship. The family also appreciates the compassionate care provided by Guardian Angels in Elk River in recent months. Willie is survived by his wife Kate of Anoka and three children: Jill (Jeff) Burcum of Cannon Falls, MN.; Josh (Ginger) Jungling of Anoka; and Kami (Chris) Nys of Chester, VA. And, by five grandchildren: Alex and Liz Burcum, and Caleb, Rowan and Logan Jungling. He also has two surviving brothers: Rodney (Linda) Jungling and Marvin (Julie) Jungling. The family prefers memorials to the Parkinson’s Foundation or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. May all remember Willie not in sadness, but by raising a toast to the good times and laughs he brought into our lives.