William "Bill" Mokriakow, 75, of Waterloo, Illinois, born March 19, 1945 in Kiel, Germany to Howrlyo and Helena, nee Myeski, Mokriakow, who preceded him in death. Bill passed away at his home surrounded by his loving family, on Sunday, May 3, 2020, after a long battle with multiple myeloma.

Bill was a retired chemist from Ameren. He was a helicopter mechanic and served on the USNS Corpus Christi Bay during the Vietnam War. He was a member of the former Maplewood Park Baptist Church in Cahokia, IL and a member of the First Baptist Church of Columbia, IL. Bill has touched hundreds of lives of friends, music students, and veterans over the years. A gifted musician, Bill frequently provided guitar, violin, mandolin, and piano lessons in addition to conducting church choir. Bill was incredibly other-centered and often bought and rehabbed old instruments to give away at no cost to his students. He was an avid fisherman, gardener, and Lord's servant: sharing God's good news with everyone. Bill spent his last weeks surrounded by his loved ones and eating lots of pie.

Along with his parents, Bill was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Brittany Nichole Potter

Surviving are his wife, Betty, nee Long, Mokriakow; his daughters, Diane Mokriakow of Columbia, IL and Tanya (David) Potter of Collinsville, IL; his grandchildren, Andrew (Fallon) Potter of Waterloo, IL, Olivia Potter of Bloomington, IN, and Jason Calahan of St. Louis, MO; his four younger siblings, all of whom he cherished, Leon (Esther) Mokriakow of Maryville, IL, Cathy Baldrige of Millstadt, IL, George (Peggy) Mokriakow of Millstadt, IL,and Irene (Marc) Hurt of Cedar Hill, MO. He was also a dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, and friend.

" Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" John 11:25 Bill has had his time with God to cry and now he has returned home to be with our Lord and Savior;

Condolences may be expressed online at braunfh.com.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois-Orange Team South or the First Baptist Church of Columbia, IL.

Funeral services will be private, and a public Memorial Service will be held at a later date. He will be buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri. Braun Family Funeral Home, Columbia, Illinois has been entrusted with his services.