William Earl Parks

William “Bill” Parks, a devoted husband, father, and decorated military veteran, passed away on May 16, 2026, at the VA hospital in Minneapolis at the age of 69 after a long, courageous battle with cancer.

Bill was born on November 25, 1956, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in Hastings, Minnesota where the roots of his character — his faith, his humor, his deep love of family, and his love for the outdoors — took hold early. He loved fishing, hunting and generally being on the water. He went on to live a life of extraordinary service and devotion.

A proud Catholic and active member of St. Mary’s Big River Church, Bill’s faith was central to everything he did. Those who knew him best, remember a man who was warmly loving, deeply supportive, and blessed with a dark sense of humor that could light up any room. Bill was very involved in several organizations, including Pierce County Republican Party, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Knights of Columbus. He was Pro-Life and Pro-Family.

Bill served his country with distinction across more than two decades of military duty. As a Major in the United States Marine Corps, he deployed to Desert Storm. He served as a Psychological Operations Officer in the United States Army, deploying to Afghanistan. Bill retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of active duty. He served an additional two tours in Afghanistan as a civilian Team Leader, Human Terrain Team. Bill was truly a dedicated soldier who loved his country.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, JoAnne; nine children, Katie (Kevin) Sieben, Gina (Jacob) Berg, Andrew (Sarah) Parks, April Parks, Amber Parks, Amanda Filiowich, Ali (Mark) Bergstrom, Aaron Patten, and Amber Lynn Patten; 14 grandchildren; his stepfather, Steve Bloomstrand; and his siblings, Kathy (Joe) Lasar, John Parks, Steve Bloomstrand Jr. (Brenda), Peggy Bloomstrand, and Patty (John) Klinger. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, John Richard Parks and his mother Mary Ann Bloomstrand, brothers, Dennis Parks, Perry Parks, and Eric Bloomstrand.

Visitation will be held on Friday May 22nd at St. Mary’s Big River Catholic Church, W10137 570th Ave, River Falls, Wisconsin beginning at 9:30am. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00am with Father William Brenna officiating. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s cemetery.

Arrangements are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Prescott. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-262-5404.