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Willie Piispanen Obituary

Willie Piispanen
Willie Piispanen passed away peacefully at his home in Boise, Idaho after a year-long battle with brain cancer. He was born in Ashtabula, Ohio on May 17, 1947 to Ann and Henry Piispanen and was a graduate of Harbor High School. Family members who will miss him being a part of their lives include his wife Ruth, son Neil (wife Carrie, children Calvin, Henry and Lilly), son Kyle and brother Kenny (wife Shirley). Willie enjoyed all activities in the splendor and beauty of nature including kayaking, biking, skiing and camping, as well as music, movies and other performing arts.
A graduate of the University of Toledo and Washington State University, Willie's professional career focused on the restoration of environmental damage to our earth while providing safe working conditions for employees. Willie traveled to many places around the world both professionally and for pleasure and did amazing things such as setting up recycling facilities for base camps on Mount Everest and working at ground zero in New York City following 9-11 to monitor air quality for workers as well as take part in search and recovery operations.
A long-time member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Willie served in many capacities including mentoring young safety professionals. In his honor, the ASSE Snake River Chapter set up the Willie Piispanen Professional Education Grant to help members of all ages pursue their safety careers. In addition Region II ASSE renamed their scholarship the Willie Piispanen Scholarship, which allows eligible students to continue their safety education. Any donations in Willie's memory may be made by connecting to the ASSE link at http://foundation.asse.org/donate

Published by Idaho Statesman on Dec. 2, 2017.
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