William “Bill” Edward Bruring passed away on February 26, 2026, four days shy of his 101st birthday. He grew up on the south side of La Crosse when bicycles and streetcars were the only mode of transportation. In his later years, Bill liked to reflect on how La Crosse had changed over his lifetime. When he was a boy, Losey Boulevard had been on the eastward outskirts of the city. While in high school and with guidance from his pilot neighbor, Roy Kumm, Bill became interested in the Civil Air Patrol. He became a charter member of the La Crosse CAP unit and earned numerous awards and ranks and served as the historian.

Graduating from Central High School in 1942, Bill entered the United States Army and became a paratrooper. With an affection for radios, he jumped from planes with a 35-pound radio plus his other gear. As with many Veterans, Bill did not like to talk about his time in the war. On a recent trip to the Deke Slaton Air Show, he saw Fat Albert, the Blue Angel’s support plane, and reflected on the C47 he jumped out of many times. He remembered the speed the pilot had to reduce to when they made their jumps. Five years after he was discharged from the Army, Bill served the U S Naval Reserve for 21 months during the Korean War working with radios and communication.

Between the two wars, he accomplished two major goals: He graduated from radio electronic courses from Valparaiso University in Indiana and in 1948, after dancing with Louise Halverson at the Avalon Ballroom, they were married. Bill and Louise spent 62 years together until her death in 2010.

Bill and Louise started the first FM radio station in this area in 1966 when the talk was, “do you think this FM will ever catch on”? With the radio tower on Grandad Bluff, Bill and Louise decided to build their house there and enjoyed the scenic views of the Coulee Region.

Bill was very dedicated to the Civil Air Patrol and the U S flag. When lightning struck the flagpole atop Grandad Bluff, Bill and Louise immediately paid for a replacement. In 2014, Bill was flown to Washington DC where he received the Congressional Gold Medal at the Statuary Hall in the US Capitol Building.

Bill was happy to spend his later years enjoying his home on Grandad’s Bluff. He was very thankful for the care he received at Gundersen hospital which helped him live a long and independent life.

Memorial services date and time are pending and will be announced when finalized.