William James Eroe III

William James Eroe III, of La Grange Park, Illinois, a retired executive with Rockwell International and later a stockbroker with A.G. Edwards, died peacefully on June 6, 2025. He was just shy of his 99th birthday.

Bill was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, on June 22, 1926, the son of William James Eroe Jr and Ruth Genkinger Eroe. He graduated from New Castle High School in January 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy that April. He served as a navigator in the Navy Air in the Pacific Theater during World War II, including time in post-war Japan, until his honorable discharge in June 1946.

Following his service, he enrolled at Westminster College and graduated in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He began his professional career with Rockwell International in New Castle and later transferred to Detroit, Michigan, and Kenton, Ohio. After retiring from Rockwell in 1982, he embarked on a second career as a stockbroker with A.G. Edwards in Findlay, Ohio, retiring again in 1995.

In 1946, he met and fell in love with Delma Rodgers on a blind date at Cascade Park in New Castle. They married on June 19, 1948, at Trinity Episcopal Church and enjoyed 68 wonderful years together until her passing in 2016. They traveled extensively, including several cruises around the world, and were especially fond of family cruises to Panama and Alaska with their children and grandchildren. Furthermore, they were also actively involved with their communities and churches in the many places they lived. Bill was an avid golfer and sports enthusiast. He especially enjoyed attending baseball games and loved sports trivia.

Bill touched the lives of everyone he encountered-through his work, social connections, church communities and most of all, as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His final years were spent at Plymouth Place in La Grange Park, IL, and he was a beloved member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hinsdale, IL.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Delma; his parents; and his sisters, Elizabeth Eroe Chill and Sarah Davis Humphrey.

He is survived by his children: Edward Eroe (partner, Susan) of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Gretchen Thomson (husband, Doug) of Loveland, Ohio; and Barbara Mills (husband, Stewart) of Western Springs, Illinois. Bill was a proud grandfather to seven grandchildren: Joshua Thomson (wife, Allison) of Cincinnati, Ohio; Benjamin Mills (wife, Jessica) of Hinsdale, Illinois; Emily Smith (husband, Nathan) of Loveland, Ohio; Alex Eroe (wife, Katie) of Denver, Colorado; Jackson Mills (wife, Katy) of Western Springs, Illinois; William Eroe of Austin, Texas; and Samuel Thomson of Bloomington, Indiana. He is also survived by eight great-grandchildren: Charles, Cora, Henry, Eloise, Anna, Chloe, Cecilia and Rory.

A memorial service will be held by Trinity Presbyterian Church on June 21, 2025, at 11:00am at:

Western Springs Christian Reformed Church

5140 Wolf Road

Western Springs, IL 60558

Bill will be interred next to his wife Delma at the Oak Park Cemetery in New Castle, Pennsylvania at a later date.


For more information about Bill, including videos and audio recording as well as a link to the livestream and video of his Memorial Service go to this link:

https://williamjeroeiii.blogspot.com/

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mr. Eroe may be made to Trinity Presbyterian Church at this link: https://www.trinityhinsdale.com/giving/, or the charity of your choice.