Billy Earl Croce (1942-2020)

CROCE, BICKFORD, KILBURG

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 6/5/2020 at 15:07:36

Billy E. Croce, 77, of Maquoketa, Iowa, passed away on Thursday afternoon, June 4, 2020 at the Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa.

A funeral mass celebrating his life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maquoketa. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M. on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Maquoketa, with military honors.

Billy Earl Croce was born on August 14, 1942 in Maquoketa, Iowa, to Leo Oscar and Gladys Maxine (Bickford) Croce. He was a 1960 graduate of Maquoketa High School and later received an Associate Degree from Clinton Community College. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army earning an honorable discharge serving from 1960 to 1963. He married Darlis Kay Kilburg on October 19, 1963 in Springbrook, Iowa. Three children were born to this union, Khristine, Keith and William.

Billy had first worked for Nitrin Plant in Cordova, Illinois for a short time. He then worked for Ralston Purina in Clinton as a Sanitation Foreman for many years, and lastly retired in 2005 from American Xyrofin in Thomson, Illinois.

Billy was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maquoketa and the Bellevue American Legion Post #273. He enjoyed bowling, reading, and doing crossword puzzles. He was an avid Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears and Iowa Hawkeyes fan, and loved wresting qualifying for the Iowa State High School Wrestling Tournament while in high school.

Those left to honor his memory include a daughter, Khristine (Jay) Rollinger of Bettendorf, IA; 4 grandchildren, Sarah (Ryan) Farnsworth, Amy (Eric) Andrew, Lucas (Kenzie) Rollinger, and Blake Rollinger; 2 great-grandchildren, Cooper Farnsworth and Emilia Andrew; siblings, Maxine Flock of Maquoketa, IA, Monna Cleary of Lost Nation, IA, Donna Camp of Guntersville, AL, Janis (Phil) Seay of Dubuque, IA, Leo "Butch" Croce of Toronto, IA, and Wendy (Bill) Hainstock of Delmar, IA; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Alice Kilburg of Bellevue, IA, Maureen Kilburg of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Dennis and Liz Kilburg of LaMotte, IA; and his Cystinosis Family particularly the Midwest Cystinosis Group who he felt was a part of his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister Kathy, wife Darlis on February 23, 2011, sons Keith on April 12, 2005 and William on September 12, 2012.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, a Billy E. Croce memorial fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left at www.CarsonAndSon.com.