He fought until the end…
Dr. William Edgar Amend, Bill, of Prescott, Ariz., died peacefully on Dec. 21 with his children by his side after a valiant battle with cancer.
Born Oct. 22, 1939 to Edgar and Ethel Amend in Tomahawk. He always liked to say, “I’m just a small town guy from Wisconsin.”
Bill valued education throughout his life and always strived to continue learning. He attended University of Wisconsin and received his PhD in mechanical engineering from Berkeley. He always read books and took online classes at Yavapai Community College well into his 70s. There wasn’t much he couldn’t fix, and when he became physically unable to fix it himself, he would hire his handyman and would give step by step instructions.
There was no one tougher than Bill. He had polio at the age of five and lived in a hospital for a year recovering. He overcame colon cancer, skin cancer, three shoulder replacements, a leg amputation and eventually succumbed to prostate cancer after a 10-year battle. He had over 17 surgeries in his life.
And he never complained…not once.
Bill married JoAnn Guenther while still in college, and they had two children, Eric and Krista. They later lived in Downers Grove and Hinsdale, Ill. Eventually he moved the family to Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., so Eric could take tennis lessons from the great Robert Lansdorp. They joined the infamous Jack Kramer Tennis Club, where his children eventually became collegiate athletes, with his son going on to become an Olympian and professional tennis player.
Bill married the love of his life, Sonya Amend, in May of 1988. They lived in San Pedro, Calif., and moved to Prescott, Ariz., in 2006 to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren. He designed and built a beautiful home in the Pines that they enjoyed through the years. Sonya was his caretaker for the past few years and faithfully never left his side. She made it possible for him to remain in their beloved home until the very end. Words can’t describe the love and gratitude we have for her.
Bill was always known for being one tough SOB, but began to soften in his later years. I like to think his granddaughters had something to do with that. He loved watching them play softball and taking them shopping after Christmas to buy whatever they wanted from Target when they were little. The girls always made him smile, even if it was just a phone call or FaceTime from them.
Bill is survived by his wife, Sonya, his daughter Krista Walker (Tony) and his granddaughters Cailtyn and Ashley, his son Eric, stepdaughter Denise Nevill (Brian) and their son Ryan, as well as stepson Richard Marzella (Jackie) and their daughter Nicole. Finally, he is survived by his faithful African Gray bird, Chiquita, who is already missing him.
Every person we have spoken to since his passing has described him as unique and one of a kind, and that he was. He was tough and smart and stubborn. He wasn’t perfect, but he was loved.