William "Bill" DeLange III

"If you ask me what I came into this life to do,

I'll tell you I came to live out loud."

This quote by Emily Zola could be describing Bill DeLange, dearest brother, uncle, neighbor and friend. Bill died suddenly at home on April 25, 2023 at the age of 73. He was the third child of Bill and Rosalie DeLange, who predeceased him. He graduated from Parkview High School and Missouri State University (then SMS). During the 60's, he gave up playing cello and began stints as a bass guitarist in many local bands, such as The Esquires, The Artificial Flavors, The Checkmates, and The Lavender Hill Mob. His first gig was probably playing with The Stags. Bandmates said they had to pick him up at home since he was too young to drive! After college, Bill worked in Oklahoma City in the legal department of the Frisco Railroad. Always an entrepreneur, he created several businesses including Old St. Louis Ltd, manufacturer and distributor of high-end copper and brass mailboxes, and Burger Station, in Springfield and Ozark. He developed and patented a mirror assembly to be used on recreational watercraft distributed by DeLange & Associates and sold in sporting goods stores and catalogs. In 2001, he began selling real estate, finally working with Murney Associates. During the late 1960's, he and two good buddies started building a 40-foot houseboat that was launched on Table Rock Lake in 1971 when he presented it as a gift to his parents. Moored at Indian Point for more than 50 years, it has been a hub of extraordinary fun for his extended family, a myriad of friends and friends of friends, plus an untold number of their kids!

He is survived by his sister, Jane Shurtz and her husband, Mort; brothers, Richard DeLange and wife, Kay, and Mark DeLange and wife, Beth; nephews, Jay Shurtz and wife, Rachelle, Matt Shurtz and wife, Krista, Taylor DeLange and wife, Kat, Ryan DeLange and wife, Kayla, and Casey DeLange; grand-nieces and nephews, Tyrus and Ava Shurtz, Willa and River Shurtz, Abel and Milo DeLange, and Luca DeLange; as well as cousins, neighbors, and friends too numerous to count.

Please bring your stories and wear an island shirt for a memorial gathering on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Convey of Hope, PO Box 1125, Springfield, Missouri 65801.

And now, unexpectedly, we must say good-bye to Bill, who also acquired several affectionate nicknames: Captain Bill, one of the Three Amigos, Billy, Uncle Bill, B3, Uncle Trouble, and UB. How we will miss you!