Obituary of William Gunderson

William (Bill) Jossart Gunderson, a resident of Farmington Square in Eugene, Oregon, passed away May 30, 2014 at the age of 88.Bill was born March 30, 1926, in Marinette, Wisconsin to Joseph and Harriet Gunderson. Bill attended school in the Marinette area and graduated in 1944. He joined the Navy during World War II and served in the South Pacific on Landing Ship Tank (LST) 227. At the end of the war, he joined the Army National Guard in Wisconsin and Oregon. He retired from the Army National Guard in 1986 after serving a total of 30 years. During that time his Army National Guard unit was activated in 1962 from Marinette, Wisconsin to Fort Lewis, Washington, in support of the Cuban Missile Crisis.Bill married Lillian Grace Rye on May 8, 1948 in Wallace, Michigan. They had seven children. Bill is preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, and two daughters, Linda Sue Gunderson and Kimberly Jean Gunderson Brown (Jonathan); a sister Ann Belongie, brother in laws and sister in laws, Carl and Irene Rye, Frank Ellison, Glen Belongie, Stanley Rye and 2 nephews Curt Rye and Rickey Rye.Bill was proud of his WWII service for his country and honored and respected the Memorial Day Holiday each year, respectively wearing his Veteran Hat with pride and saluting the flag. In his analytical thinking he could remember in detail the happenings in the war days as if it were yesterday, as well as other events in his family. He was a Life Member of the VFW 293 in Eugene. He also enjoyed golf, staying active in the Sons of Norway Lodge of Eugene, serving as president of the lodge multiple times and was an active member of the Norsemen Choral Group. He was always proud to travel back to Wisconsin to visit relatives and friends several times and loved returning to his Menekaunee Community in Marinette, Wisconsin.Bill is survived by his five children and their spouses, Dean Gunderson (Carol), Jean Brown (John), Wayne Gunderson (Caralie), Donald Gunderson (Sue), Diane Lundberg (Mark), a sister Nancy Kellner (John), of Little Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; Gene and Gen Rye, Roger (Buck) and Doris Rye and Barbara Rye of Wallace Michigan, numerous nieces and nephews and long-time friend, Hazel Sando of Eugene, Oregon.A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, June 22, 2014 at the Eugene Sons of Norway Lodge, 710 McKinley Street, Eugene, Oregon 97404, from 1:00 pm till 4:00 pm.Inurnment will be at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Arrangements by Musgrove Family Mortuary, please access the obituary at musgroves.com.At Bill’s request in lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Bill’s name to the VFW 293 or the Salvation Army in Eugene, Oregon.