William P. Crain, 85, of Centralia, passed away on Friday, November 1, 2024. He was born on August 7, 1939, the son of Robert and Beata (Sebald) Crain in St. Louis, MO. He married Leila Anne Gross on August 4, 1962, in Port Washington, New York and she survives him in Centralia.
Along with his beloved wife of 62 years, Bill is survived by his daughters, Jennifer (Brian) Martin of Collinsville, Illinois, and Allison Austin of Centralia; son, Matthew Crain of Springfield, Illinois; five adored grandchildren, Chris Crain (Carlie Willis), Will Martin, Ellie Martin, Kate Martin, and Kalen King; two precious great-grandchildren, Marah Coles and Ivy Crain; sister, Barbara Crain; brother-in-law, Richard Gross; sister-in-law, Sheila Crain; beloved niece and nephew, Joshua and Sarah Crain; other nieces and nephews and many close friends and colleagues.
Bill was preceded in death by his infant son, Jonathan Towart Crain; father and mother, Robert M. and Beata Barbara Crain; parents-in-law, Albert and Alice Gross; brother, John Crain; dear cousin, Pam Meng and daughter-in-law, Danielle LaChance.
Bill was a 1957 graduate of Centralia High School, a multi-sport athlete, and Class President. He received First Team All-Star Honors on the 1956 Orphan football team and was honored by the Centralia Sports Hall of Fame individually and as a team member. He was selected as an IHSA all-state center during his senior year of high school, played football at the University of Michigan as a freshman, and was a proud 1961 Michigan graduate. He attended the University of Missouri School of Law and joined his father in the practice of law at the Crain and Hall law firm in Centralia in 1964. Bill retired from Crain, Miller, and Wernsman in 2014 after practicing law for over 50 years. He was a brilliant lawyer with a practice that focused on non-profit law and established not-for-profit organizations that developed and operated numerous DD facilities throughout the state of Illinois. He was instrumental in developing the State of Illinois Animal Disease Lab, Bell Tower Inn, Doctors Nursing Home in Salem, Marion County Elderly Housing, the Bob White Apartments for low-income elders, Marion County Affordable Housing, The Marion County Drug Court, Bryan Manor, Penta Group, Penta Nascent, Community Transportation Development, Southern Illinois Rural Healthcare, Hickory Meadows and Hickory Ridge Apartments and the Tech Center which later became the South Central Transit Technology Center in Downtown Centralia. He obtained the very first license granted to a 15-bed ICFDD facility in Illinois. One of the many honors and recognitions he received was an appointment to the statewide committee to recommend the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Illinois.
He was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Centralia and served as an elder and church president and Parliamentarian for the LCMS Southern Illinois District Convention. He was actively involved with the local Democratic Party for decades and counted Paul Simon, Dick Durbin, Neil Hartigan, Kurt Granberg and Glenn Poshard among his many good friends. His political fundraisers were the stuff of legend. Bill was an avid private pilot, a member of the Airport Board, and represented the local fixed-based operator who founded the flight school at Centralia Airport. He considered his sobriety and active involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous for over 47 years as one of his greatest privileges and blessings. He was a great storyteller and purveyor of baked goods and, until recent years, a fixture at Greenview Golf Course, providing free (and unsolicited) golf tips to other golfers. He had fond memories of golf trips to Scotland, Ireland, and England and vacations in Michigan and Florida with family and friends.
He lived for his family and the time spent with his wife, children, and grandchildren was his greatest joy.
The funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 1:00 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Centralia, with a time of visitation at the church beginning at 11:00 am until the time of service. Christian burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Centralia. Memorials may be made in Bill’s honor to the Centralia Cultural Society or Trinity Lutheran Church in Centralia and will be accepted by the Sutherland-Garnier Funeral Home at 235 North Sycamore Street in Centralia, IL 62801 (618) 532-3523, who is honored to be of service to Bill’s Family. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.sutherlandfuneralhome.com or the Funeral Home’s Facebook page.
