Bill Reopelle

Bill Reopelle passed away on the afternoon of March 21, 2024 from complications of dementia and COPD.

Bill came into the world kicking and screaming on his mother, Rose’s, 20th birthday. They always enjoyed sharing that same special day.

Bill’s early years were spent growing up in McQueen. Throughout his life, he always spoke so fondly of the people and the neighborhood of McQueen. At an early age, father Rusty and Grandfather Shorty instilled in the family a love of the outdoors. They would go camping and fishing often and it remained a passion for Bill until illness took over.

Bill was a fixer-upper extraordinaire. His trade was an auto mechanic. He and his brother Bob attended Denver Automotive Institute together. Bill’s gift for fixing things had friends and neighbors bringing him their non-working lawn mowers, chain saws, etc. to repair.

He made friends wherever he went and some that he mentioned frequently include Frankie, Mick, Jay, Gunner & Mark, some of them former co-workers. Bill would have been delighted by the moniker the nurses at Ivy gave him: “Wild Bill”.

Bill was preceded in death by his Grandpa Shorty, Grandma Aggie, father Rusty, mother Rose, brother Bob, and nephews Tommy and Cory all of Butte; and nephew Michael Zohn of Salt Lake City.

He is survived by his wife, Corrine; children Billie Jo (Mat) of Eugene, Ore., Tim of Missoula, and Shawn, of Houston, Tx.

Additional survivors include brothers, Tom (Heidi) of Butte and Chuck of Missoula; sisters, Patty Smigaj (Steve) of Missoula and Kathy Fullmer of Salt Lake City; Sisters-in-law, Kathy Osier and Ann Marie Reopelle; along with granddaughters, Aurora (of Eugene, Oregon) and Charlie (of Salt Lake City), and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews.

A huge thank you to Senior Solutions and to the staff of Ivy for the excellent, compassionate care shown to Bill and the tremendous support to Corrine.

Bill has been cremated by Axelson and wanted no services. If anyone chooses to honor him with a memorial, please consider Pintler Pets in Anaconda.

Please visit axelsonfuneralhome.com to leave a condolence or share a memory of Bill.