DUBUQUE - William (Will or Bill) Tyler Cooey, 57, died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, in the Straub Hospital, Honolulu, following a wave surge accident.

Friends may call at the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 John F. Kennedy Rd., Dubuque, IA, on Monday Oct. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Delhi United Methodist Church, 304 Market St., Delhi, there will be a visitation from 9 to 10:45 a.m. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Delhi, following the funeral service. A luncheon will be held at the Delhi Legion Hall following the burial.

William was born March 22, 1951, at the Willard Hospital, Manchester, son of Archie and Marcheta (Furman) Cooey. He spent the first five years of his life in Brownsville, Texas, where he enjoyed playing on Padre Island and Boca Chica Beaches. The family then moved back to Hartwick Lake near Delhi, where he spent the rest of his youth helping in the family marina business, swimming, competitive water skiing, scuba diving and roaming in the woods near his home with his brother. He was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and an Eagle Scout. William was a Brotherhood Member of the Order of the Arrow and over the years, had received the Scouting Spirit Award, Scouter of the Year, and the District Award of Merit, as well as the prestigious Silver Beaver Award. Camp C.S. Klaus was a very important place to him. He had visited the camp in some capacity every summer for the past 50 years.

William was also a member of the Delhi United Methodist Church. He graduated from Maquoketa Valley High School, where he was active in sports, and Upper Iowa College, Fayette, with a degree in business. He worked for Kresges, 7 Eleven, and owned a game room and a hardware store. He enjoyed working part-time at Wal-Mart for 15 years. Recently, he was a teacher at Maquoketa High School, Maquoketa, and had previously taught at Hamilton College, Davenport, and at Hillcrest, Dubuque. He earned his master's degree at Loras College in 2006.

He married Kristine Thomas Pingel on Sept. 10, 1976, bringing into the union a son, Jim Pingel. In 1980, they adopted Joseph Mathew, and in 1988 Ryan William was born to them.

William married Barbara Leigh Brown on May 14, 1999, bringing into the union two children, Justin and Kamin. Will and Barb both loved the outdoors and enjoyed wilderness trips, canoe trips and camping. Barb joined him as a scout leader for the Boy Scouts, and they both continued to lead Troop 44 at Delhi, until his death. During their recent vacation in Hawaii, Will and Barb went to a luau and had an exciting hour-long glider ride. It was a dream of William's to go to Hawaii - his 50th visited state.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara of Dubuque; his children, CW3 James (Linda) Pingel of Cedar Falls, Joseph (Lisa) Cooey of Cedar Rapids, LCPL Ryan Cooey of Honolulu, Justin (Cali) Thole of Windsor, Colo., and Kamin Loney of Dubuque; seven grandchildren, Aubrey Cooey, Harlie Pingel, Jackson Thole, Adia and Sheralyn Cooey, and Derek and Gharett Kohl; his mother, Marcheta Cooey of Delhi; two siblings, Ralph (Donna) Cooey of Longmont, Colo., and Deborah (Tracy) Knake of Delhi; nieces and nephews, Candace (Dave) Meredith, Tyler (Melody) Cooey, Breana Cooey, Miranda Knake and Austin Knake; and two great-nieces, Cassidy and Justine Jorgensen.

He was preceded in death by his father, Archie Cooey Jr.; grandparents, Archie Cooey Sr., Verlie Cooey, and Tyler and Pansy Furman; a grandson, Anthony Cooey, and a great-niece, Cynthia Jorgensen.