William C. Wagner, Jr., 70, of Rantoul, died on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at
home. He was born June 16, 1955, in Ithaca, NY, the son of William Charles Wagner and Donna Ann McNeill Wagner. Bill is survived by his three sisters, Elizabeth Wagner (Alan) of South Haven, MI; Tori Corkery (Dan) of Urbana, IL; and Kathryn Wagner (Erik) of Kalamazoo, MI. Other survivors include a niece, Mary Corkery of Burtonsville, MD; a nephew, Liam Chechak of Kalamazoo, MI; a niece, Lillian Chechak of Grand Rapids, MI; an aunt, Roberta Romeo of Novato, CA; and six first cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Bill was raised in Ithaca, NY. Along with the rest of the family, he moved to Ames, IA, in
1968. He graduated from Ames High School in 1973, where he was active in drama and choir.
While in Ames, Bill also earned Eagle Scout and participated in community theater. He traveled
with the family to West Germany in 1973 where he worked at a Texas Instruments factory during their year-long stay.
Returning to the United States in 1974, Bill attended Iowa State University and then
enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1975. Trained in computer programming, he served in Corps until September 1983.
In 1984, Bill began a long and productive career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign as a computer programmer in telecommunications. At the time of his retirement in
2010, he was a manager in Technology Services.
Retirement allowed Bill to explore his many interests. He pursued his love of cooking and food, completing Associate of Arts degrees at
Parkland College in Applied Sciences/Hospitality Industry and Restaurant Management in May 2013 and Applied Sciences/Culinary Arts Management in August 2014. In May of 2015, he
also completed a certificate at Parkland College in Business Entrepreneurship.
His love of cooking and baking led him to work at the Java Connection in downtown Rantoul during 2014-15 where he was the kitchen manager and responsible for revamping the
café's menu. He also was the chef for a children's program run by the Multicultural Community Center on the former Chanute Air Force Base. Everywhere he cooked, he made sure his kitchen
met all food safety standards. And he crafted his meals and menus to meet his customers' expectations and the children's nutritional needs.
Bill also had a passion for classical music. He learned to play the violin at a young age; retirement allowed him to further develop his skills. His hard work allowed Bill to join the
Parkland College Orchestra from 2015-2018 as a member of the second violin section.

His interests also included motorsports, especially Formula 1 racing and sports cars. Bill was a life member of the Sports Car Club of America and a member and officer of the
Champaign County Sports Car Club for many years. During his active years with the club, he served as a Rallymaster and drove in rallies and autocross events.
Bill was a born reader who especially loved science fiction. That passion led him to join the Friends of the Rantoul Library in 2010 and became its secretary in 2011. He later became
treasurer and served in that role until 2026. He also served on the Rantoul Public Library Board, sworn in as a trustee on May 9,
2017. His last meeting was April 20, 2021. He served as the board secretary that entire time.
A Celebration of Life will be held at noon on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the Fellowship Hall of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2101 S. Prospect Ave., Champaign. The family is
grateful for the assistance from Renner-Wikoff Chapel and Crematory of Urbana and the Champaign County Coroner's Office. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rantoul Public Library.