JOHN EMILE WILLE

1934-2021

John Emile Wille, age 87, passed away peacefully at his home in Houston, Texas

on July 29, 2021. He was born on May 28, 1934, in Grosse Tete, Louisiana to Rudolph August and Mary Rose Wunstell Wille. John graduated from Shady Grove High School in Grosse Tete and went on to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. After serving four years in the Air Force, stationed in both Biloxi and Houston, he settled in Houston where he met and married his wife of 64 years, Mary Jacquelyn Kirkpatrick Wille. Together they had two daughters, Pamela Faith Wille and Darla Rene Wille DiStefano.

After leaving the Air

Force, John went to work for Houston Lighting and Power Company where he worked for 35 years. He started as a helper in the boiler maintenance division and by the time he retired, he had moved up the ranks to become the Department Manager over Central Maintenance. When asked about his greatest accomplishments in life, he always pointed to his career at the Light Company. He took great pride in his work and made many life-long friends during his 35-year career. He truly cherished the friendships he made with his co-workers and maintained those relationships throughout his life.

John was an avid sports fan and loved watching the Houston Astros and the Houston Rockets. Since he grew up in Louisiana, he was also a fan of the LSU Tigers. His love for sports was passed on to his daughters. As they grew, he attended all of their games and, eventually, served as the President of the Jacinto City Girls Softball Association. Over the years he fought tirelessly for girls to have

equipment and facilities that were similar to those provided to boys. In his later years he took up golf, a sport that he loved tremendously. John and Jacki enjoyed playing golf together and with friends and they traveled frequently to well known golf courses throughout the United States.

But his greatest love was for his family. In addition to his daughters, he had two granddaughters and two grandsons, as well as three great-grandsons that knew him as PawPaw. John was the family carpenter and handyman and he did everything within his power to share his knowledge and skills with his daughters and grandchildren. His talents were admired by many, earning him the nickname of “Mister Fix-It” amongst his friends and neighbors. A hard worker all his life, he was never idle and eager to help others. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do and he was always there to lend a helping hand.

John is survived by his wife Mary Jacquelyn (Jacki), daughters Pamela Wille and Darla DiStefano (David) , granddaughters Cameron Medina (Edward) and Jacquelyn DiStefano, grandsons August DiStefano (Priscilla) and Leighton DiStefano, great grandsons Vincent Medina

and Roman and Patrick DiStefano. He is also survived by his sister Rita Chenevert, his brother-in-law Jerry Crotwell, and numerous nieces and nephews who lovingly knew him as Uncle Johnny.

John was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Herbert LeJeune and Herman Ray Wille, and sister Lorraine Crotwell.

A visitation will be held Tuesday, August 3, 2021 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Crowder Funeral Home located at 111 East Medical Center Blvd. in Webster, Texas. The funeral service will also be held at Crowder Funeral Home on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. John will be interred at Houston National Cemetery at a later date.