William W. Fugate, Jr.

William Walter Fugate, Jr., 83, of La Crosse, passed away on Friday, April 9, 2021, at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse.

Bill was born in Clinton, Iowa, on March 5, 1938, to William Walter and Esther (Baker) Fugate, Sr. He attended Clinton schools and was a 1957 graduate of Clinton High School. Bill married Donna Johansen on September 13, 1959, in Clinton, Iowa.

Bill worked at several different jobs, mainly in sales. His career began in Clinton and then to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Madison, Wis., before he and his family settled in the La Crosse area in 1976. Bill was an accomplished trumpet player and played professionally in younger years. He enjoyed watching a wide range of sports, from boxing to football to women’s fast pitch softball.

He is survived by his wife, Donna; two sons, Kenneth (Jacqueline) Fugate of Des Moines, Iowa, and Matthew (Janine) Fugate of Minneapolis, Minn.; four grandchildren, Olivia, Alex, Grace and Katherine; and a sister-in-law, Susan Johansen, of La Crosse. He was preceded in death by a son, Timothy Fugate; and a sister, Lucille Lange.

Memorial services will be held at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, May 15 ^th , at First Baptist Church, 2020 No. 3 ^rd St., Clinton, Iowa. Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. at the church and a light supper will follow the service.