Willard Orlin Skaer, age 91, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2024 at Thrive of Fox Valley in Aurora, IL. He was born on May 6, 1932 at his grandparents' home, which was a farm outside the small town of Floraville, IL. He was the first of 8 children born to Orlando and Laurena, nee Mehrmann, Skaer.

Willard's family spoke only German in their home, so he didn't learn English until he started school at the age of 6, in a one room schoolhouse. At age 15, almost 16, Willard quit school and got his first job at a shoe factory where he fitted heels onto women's shoes. At age 18, Willard and his father applied for jobs together at a new factory in town, Eddy Paper Company. This began his lifetime career in the corrugated box industry.

At the age of 20, Willard received his orders for induction into the U.S. Army. He trained 16 weeks at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. He then took a train to Seattle, Washington. And spent his 21st birthday on a ship in the Pacific Ocean on his way to Japan, with his final destination being Incheon, Korea. On July 19, 1953, Willard was wounded by a mortar shell while on a recon patrol when the enemy ambushed them. He was taken to a hospital in Japan for two months, after which he returned to Korea to finish his term of duty. Willard was awarded a purple heart medal for his injuries.

Willard met his wife Janette, nee Meidinger, on a blind date on Valentine's Day in 1959. He proposed that same year on her birthday in July, and they were married on November 14, 1959. They celebrated their 64-year anniversary together in 2023.

Willard's greatest joy was working in his yard at his home in Bolingbrook, IL. He enjoyed planting flowers and tending to his vegetable garden which he shared with many neighbors. He received the Bolingbrook Beautification Award from the mayor of Bolingbrook, several years in a row. He also enjoyed weekly church services and was active with the church serving as a greeter, usher, and working on the landscaping for the church every spring. He was an avid baseball fan of the St. Louis Cardinals for many years, then he converted to a division rival, the Chicago Cubs, when he moved his family up to northern Illinois in 1975. He loved his family dearly, and he was the hardest worker they would ever know.

Willard is survived by his loving wife, Janette, three daughters, Judy Kelly, Debbie (Alfredo) Ricci, Angela (Robert) Schneible, and 6 grandchildren, Audrey (Dan) Wessell, Lewis Ricci, Miranda Ricci, Michelle (Nick) Slager, Alyssa Hoffmann, Michael Kelly, as well as two brothers Marvin Skaer, Herbie (Maxine) Skaer, and three sisters, Rosie Helfrich, Dottie Rickard, and Shirley Schmidt (Gene), and many nieces and nephews.

The visitation will take place on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 530 West Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440. His funeral service begins at 6:00 p.m. that evening. The burial and military funeral honors will take place on Thursday, January 18, 2024, beginning at 11:00 a.m. located at Valhalla Gardens, 3412 Frank Scott Parkway West, Belleville, IL 62223.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests with gratitude that memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association. Please use the following link if you'd like to make an honorary donation on Willard's behalf:
https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give

Funeral arrangements entrusted to McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home & Crematorium.