Willard Soper

WILLARD SOPER, 86 of Ogallala, passed away Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at his home in Ogallala.

Willard was born September 18, 1929 in rural Brule to Floyd and Margaret (Moyer) Soper. He attended rural school in the Brule area before finishing his education at Ogallala Public School.

In 1950, Willard was united in marriage to Geraldine Flohr. Their union was blessed with a daughter, Toni. The couple made their home in Kimball before moving to Ogallala in 1951. Willard worked at Good-All Electric for many years; and with the help of a strong work ethic and great determination, he eventually came to be the owner of the company. Willard's career eventually took him to Ft. Collins, CO, where he acted as a consultant for the business. He would later consult for the Better Business Bureau in Highlands Ranch, CO before his retirement to Florida. Following the death of his wife Geraldine, Willard gravitated back to Ogallala, where he met and eventually married Patti (Krajewski) McVay in 2005 and joyfully embraced the new family that he became a part of.

Willard was a very talented man, who accomplished nearly everything he set his mind to. Despite a humble upbringing as 1 of 14 children from rural Brule, his successes in business never changed his values or clouded his memory about where he came from. He was proud of his strong work ethic, and sought to instill that in his family. Willard was a tinkerer, and developed great skill in metal and wood working. He liked to stay busy with projects of all kinds, anything that would challenge him. Willard's "tinkering" and "projects," as he would call them, spanned a broad spectrum from fixing solar lights, making jewelry, to building lake homes.

Willard had been a member of the Masonic Lodge in Ogallala for over 50 years.

In addition to his first wife, Willard was preceded in death by his daughter, Toni Abbott; grandson, Phillip Abbott; 2 sisters; & 7 brothers.

Survivors include his wife Patti of Ogallala; children, Russell (Theresa) McVay of Pflugerville TX, Michael (Kim) McVay of Ogallala, Michelle (Yvonne) Chavez-McVay of Penrose, CO, Melinda (Brett) Knaub of Papillion, 14 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; 4 siblings; Max (Sharon) Soper of Big Springs, Carol Heller of Fayetteville, GA, Pat (Bob) Stevens of Aurora, CO, and Marlene (Rod) Bellamy of Spring, TX; along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

A memorial has been established in his memory for later designation. Condolences may be shared at prairiehillsfuneralhome.com, where the service will be streamed live for those unable to attend.

Memorial services and Masonic Rites will be held on Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Prairie Hills Funeral Home in Ogallala with Pastor John Stubenrouch officiating. Interment of cremains will be in the Littleton Cemetery in Littleton, CO at a later date.

Memorial book signing will be held on Monday, August 22, 2016 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Prairie Hills Funeral Home.

Prairie Hills Funeral Home of Ogallala is in charge of arrangements.