John Willhalm

1922 - 2020

John Arthur Willhalm

April 1, 1922 - April 28, 2020

John Arthur Willhalm, also known as Buster, Willie and JAW, passed away peacefully from natural causes. He was larger than life and enjoyed a good time and a good laugh. He had a big heart.

John was born in Duluth, MN to John Arthur (Art) Niedenfeur and Helen (Malcolm) Niedenfeur. His father died when John was 2; his mother, his brother Donald and his extended family moved to California. John's mother married Frank Willhalm and John and Don took the Willhalm name.

John graduated from Mt. Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. He was drafted into the Army and served in Europe and participated in the Battle of the Bulge under General Patton during WW II.

After returning home he married his sweetheart, Mildred (Millie) Purcell, and over the course of their 50+ years of marriage they raised and enjoyed their family. They had 5 children, Bob (Elsie), John (Sharon), Laurie,
Mary (Carlos) and Larry (Robin); 7 grandchildren, John, Joel, Heather, Aimee, Sarah, Samuel and Olivia; 11 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. Family gatherings and holiday traditions were times John cherished.

John became a newspaper distributor in the early 1960's. He worked along the SF Peninsula and in Reno. His day always began with a cup of coffee and a SF Chronicle in hand.

Baseball was his favorite sport, and he was a Giants fan and then became an Oakland A's fan. He was a regular at Spring Training in Arizona. He was a Cal alumnus and a lifelong Golden Bears fan. He also liked the Oakland Raiders football team. John enjoyed travel, big band and jazz music, walking, and doing the daily puzzles in the newspaper.

In 1996 John and Millie moved to Stinson Beach to enjoy their golden years. Millie passed in 1997. John would spend 17 years living at the beach in one of his favorite places on earth. No matter rain or shine, he would always answer his phone with "It's a beautiful day at Stinson Beach!" He made great friends and great memories there.

John is survived by his children, grandchildren, cousin Marilyn Wilson, his brother-in-law Jim Purcell and many nieces and nephews. John will be buried next to Millie in Golden Gate National Cemetery. Donations may be made to your local food bank to honor John's memory. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.