William “Bill” “Willy” S. Burke II, 73, of Hoopeston, passed away on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Accolade Healthcare of Danville.
Bill was born January 21, 1953, in Ft. Meade, Maryland, to William S. and Loretta G. (Davis) Burke. He previously married Christine Smith on July 19, 1976, in Potomac, and they had two children.
He is survived by his daughter, Jessie (Andy) Atchie of Hoopeston; son, Billy (Jess) Burke of Hoopeston; eight grandchildren, Jaren (Megan) West, Jadyn West, Tobi West, Alexa Burke, Noah Burke, Michaela (Tim) Bryant, Mackenzie Atchie, and Jacob Atchie; great-grandson, Hudson Bryant; one uncle, brother in law, several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and with a special shout-out, his longtime friends and bandmates, Jeff Alderson, Billy Ice and Vince Trauth.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Elizabeth Jolley.
Bill graduated from Potomac High School in 1971 and later earned an associate’s degree in applied science from DACC. He worked at FMC in Hoopeston as a machinist and later as a mechanical engineer until they closed. Later, he was a machinist at Troxel Industries in Danville for several years before retiring, with many jobs in between including a hog farm. Bill enjoyed daily walks in the park with his dog, Odie and cruising around town. Hiking the trails at Turkey Run State Park in his younger years, fishing, watching sports especially basketball, sci-fi movies and his favorite, SpongeBob SquarePants. Above all, music was his life. A talented, self-taught guitarist, he played in several bands over the years; Potters Wheel, Stillwater Band, Slic, Tons O Fun Band, Bugz, Blind Pilot, Bone Rollers and Two Man Trio. He recalled playing for the Queens ball for the Jaycees Sweetheart pageant for years. You could also find him sitting on his porch playing guitar for the neighbors and anyone walking by.
A memorial visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026, at Blurton Funeral Home in Potomac. Graveside services will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Rossville Cemetery. In accordance with his wishes, cremation rites have been arranged. Memorials may be made in his name to his local animal rescue HART https://hartshelter.org/contact-us or 901 W Main St Hoopeston, IL 60942. The family has entrusted Blurton Funeral Home with helping them honor Bill’s life.
Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.BlurtonFuneralHomes.com
