William "Bill" E. Sisler

William “Bill” Ellis Sisler, 80, of Freeport, IL passed away December 24, 2023, at Lena Living Center in Lena, IL. He was born July 26, 1943, in Des Moines, Iowa to Ward and Lois (Thompson) Sisler. On June 7, 1969, he married Mary Toelle in Freeport.

Bill attended the University of Iowa where he completed his undergraduate degree and the University of Illinois where he obtained his law degree. After law school, Bill joined Vista to provide volunteer free legal services to low income clients. He then served in the United States Army. Bill was Stephenson County States Attorney from 1973 to 1980. In 1980, Bill began providing services for clients in private practice. He ended his law career with his own practice, William Sisler Attorney at Law. He was a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Stephenson County Bar Association (President from 1981-1982). He was the Vice Chairman of the States Attorneys Appellate Service Commission in 1978 and 1979, and elected to the Prosecutors Advisory Council of Illinois in 1977, 1978 and 1979. In May 2001, he was appointed by the Supreme Court of Illinois to the Capital Litigation Trial Bar Screening Committee, 2nd Appellate District, and resigned in 2004.

He was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church, formerly Embury United Methodist Church in Freeport, where he served on the administrative board. He sang in the church choir. Bill also served on the boards of the Freeport Senior Resource Center, Sojourn House, YMCA, Freeport Public Library, Freeport Community Public School Fund, FHN Hospital Board and the New Horizons Counseling Center. He was a member of the Freeport Lincoln-Douglas Kiwanis. He was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Freeport Pretzels. His hobbies included fishing, golfing, tennis and playing basketball at the YMCA. Family was very important to Bill. He found great joy in coaching his children in church league basketball when they were young, and cheering from the stands for both his children and grandchildren in all of their sporting events.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mary, of Freeport; daughter, Charlotte (Brian) Keul of West Des Moines, IA; son, Robert (Renee) Sisler of Battlefield, MO; sister, Linda Pierce of Naperville, IL; seven grandchildren: Kylea (Dalton) Vaughan, Brian (Ashley) Sisler, Brett (Elizabeth) Sisler, Devon Wallace, Ben Sisler, Ellen Keul and Anthony Keul; four great granddaughters: Flora Vaughan, Sansa Sisler, Freya Vaughan, Stella Sisler and another great granddaughter Sisler due in April 2024; his sisters-in-law, Laurel Winters, and Carolyn Castro, and brother-in-law, Bill Winters, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law Darvin Pierce.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Harmony United Methodist Church with Pastor Eddie Eddy Sr. officiating. A visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Cremation rites have been accorded. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research in Bill’s memory.