On August 26th, 2023, William D. Koehnlein passed away in Lady Lake, FL.
Bill was born in 1947 to his parents William “Biggy” Koehnlein and Elizabeth “Betty” Koehnlein, and raised with his three brothers in Montclair. He was a passionate patriot who served in Vietnam in the 1960s. In his twenties and thirties, Bill was a jack of all trades working successfully as a carpenter, glazier, master plumber, mechanic, and more. However, Bill found his passion in the 1980s when he began working for the Essex County Police Department. He worked on the SWAT team as a sniper for several years and became a patrol officer. Bill was known as “the candy cop” in Brookdale Park, as he always carried candies in his hat to promote positive connections to the local community.
Bill’s easy-going nature and dedication to avoiding violence while working made him the go-to officer for cases involving children or those suffering from mental illness. His hobbies included keeping large flower and vegetable gardens and cooking delicious meals for his friends and family (often with ingredients he grew himself!). Bill also enjoyed swimming with his daughter, spending time with his pets, and taking trips to Maine to relax in nature. He was well-known in the community as someone who would always lend a hand to those in need, and often did low-cost or free plumbing work for senior citizens. He was a dedicated father to his daughter and loving “Uncle Billy” to his nieces and nephews.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents and brother Karl. He leaves behind his daughter Tracie, brothers Michael and Arthur, sister-in-law Mary Ann, nephews Chris, Peter, Mark, Doug, and AJ, nieces Janine and Emily, and several grand-nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Bill’s name be made to the charities Operation Second Chance or Boystown.
