William Bratkovich, age 88, a longtime resident of Wheaton, died Monday, September 10, at the Central Du Page Hospital. He was born on June 11, 1919 in Claridge, Pennsylvania to martin and Anna Bratkovich, the youngest son of 11 children.

Bill graduated from Clarion University in Pennsylvania, where he played football and was honored by being designated apart of their All Time Team. He served as an officer in the US Army Air force during W.W.II. While stationed at Kerns Air force Base in Utah he met Mary Armbruster, a nurse, whom he married on Sept. 18, 1943. After the war Bill worked in management for Barbara Green in Aurora and in 1959 became an executive with Scripture Press in Wheaton. In the 1960's, he became totally disabled due to an auto accident. Eventually he was able to work and moved to Portland, Oregon to work for Unilit, a division of Tyndale House Publishing.

He was very involved in all of the churches he attended. He has been a longtime member of Wheaton Bible Church, where he had been an Elder, in charge of Stephen Ministry, and had been Sunday School Superintendent. He also served as Chairman of the Greater Chicago Sunday School Association, where he was honored with a lifetime award.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary, three sons, Jim of Edmond, OK, Jerry (Donna) of Wyckoff, NJ and Joel (Lois) of Jacksonville, FL, 15 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, two sisters, Margaret Bickerstaff and Dorothy Baginski and one brother, Martin Bratkovich.

Preceding him in death were one daughter, Janice White, his parents and 7 siblings.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 12, from 3 until 8 p.m. at the Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St. in Wheaton. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, at 10 a.m. at Wheaton Bible Church, (across the street from the funeral home) Main and Franklin St. in Wheaton, Illinois 60187.

Interment will follow at Wheaton Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Wheaton Bible Church.