Obituaries

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Donald Riedelsperger, age 62, of Waddell, Arizona passed away on June 6th, 2020. Don was born on June 18th, 1957, to Ervin Riedelsperger and Mavis Vermeland in DeKalb, Illinois. Don was the youngest of three children and was “an awesome little brother.” He graduated Hinckley – Big Rock High School class of 1975, and then attended Waubonsee Community College to get his degree in electronics.

Don married Renee Jeffery and together they began their family. He loved taking his family camping, fishing, and welcoming their friends into his home as if they were his own. As his children grew up, he encouraged them to make their own decisions and put their families first. He was proud of the lives they had built for themselves and found joy in watching his family grow. Michael and Nick, Don’s sons-in-law, were like the sons he never had. He enjoyed passing on his knowledge and fatherly advice to them. He enjoyed flying drones with Michael and playing board games with Nick. Don also loved to play with his grandchildren and was truly the world’s proudest grandpa. He loved taking Maddie and Anthony to sit by the pond to eat doughnuts and chocolate milk together. He enjoyed taking Chase and Finn to play at the park.  He always had many fun activities planned for them when they were together.

Don loved helping children whether his own or others. He started a dart club at church to give the kids fun things to do in his small community and was actively involved in the local youth group. Don also loved to help his wife with her school children. Her students looked forward to the days he would come in and teach them how to make stop motion movies. At the end of every school year, he bought them a pizza party to celebrate the start of summer. His kindness and love for children radiated from within and he was beloved by all. He was “everyone’s dad”.

Don had a quick-witted and snappy sense of humor. His jokes could instantly bring an entire room to tears of laughter. He and his daughter, Katie, would often get into quip wars, going back and forth making smart comments to each other until they were laughing too hard to continue. Don and his daughter Kim loved to ride roller coasters, travel, eat chocolate chip cookies, and spend Saturday mornings watching cartoons together. He introduced his daughter Kris to Star Wars and Indiana Jones, teaching her to explore the world and helping her to discover a sense of adventure they shared.

One of Don’s favorite things to do was to travel with his wife Renee. They spent a summer backpacking across the Western United States visiting sites like Yellowstone National Park and The Black Hills. Every weekend he loved to go driving or hiking near their home in the White Tank Mountains, looking at wildlife and the beautiful desert scenery. He enjoyed entertaining friends in his home or spending quiet evenings watching his favorite shows with Renee and his dog.

Don is survived by his wife Renee Riedelsperger, his daughters Kimberly Franco (Michael), Kris Riedelsperger, Katelyn Gregory (Nick), sister Jean Laskey, 4 grandchildren: Madelein Franco, Anthony Franco, Chase Ward, Finn Gregory, and his dog Annie. He is preceded in death by his parents Ervin and Mavis Riedelsperger, his brother Gerald Riedelsperger, and his dog Molli.

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William Franklin Williams, 76, of Surprise Arizona, passed away on June 7th, 2020. William was born on August 8th, 1943, to William Williams and Hattie Terrell in The Bronx, New York.

William grew up in Manhattan and attended Central Commercial High School and graduated in 1961 before attending City College N.Y.C where he studied English Expression and Creative Writing. William also served in the United States Army from 1964-1966 as an SP4 (T) E4.

William was a kind and funny man who loved everyone that came into his life. He spent every day trying to be the best man he could for those in his life. He was dependable, adventurous, and loved those around him unconditionally. William loved to travel and was able to take a few “bucket list” trips before his passing. He rode down the Grand Canyon on a donkey for 2 hours to see The Village of Supai with his friend Tim before flying up to the top in a helicopter in just 10 minutes. He was also able to take his beloved wife Laura on a romantic trip to Paris where the pair was able to live like locals, going to the markets, seeing the sights, and doing everything they could despite him being ill. William was a man who cherished experiences and the people around him. He lived his life to the fullest and enjoyed all of the little moments.

William loved sports. Especially the Yankees. Growing up in New York his love for the Yankees was instilled in him from the day he was born. He never missed a big game and had no doubt in his mind that the Yankees were the best team around. He had a passion for health and fitness and was an avid tennis player. He also loved comic books and amassed a collection of well over 2,500 comic books. William was a fantastic cook. His seafood always turned out delicious and he made a special S.W Chili that he would make for his wife’s interest groups and it was always met with the highest praise.

William is survived by his loving wife Laura Garrett Williams, Daughters Darleen Adams, Marcia (Lynn) France, Leslie Fisher, and Bridgette Johnson; his son Mark Lake; his sisters Sandra Jordan and Ethel Williams; Sister-in-laws Ernestine Williams and Deidre Williams; his 15 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents William Williams and Hattie Terrell and his three brothers Fred Williams, Otis and Joanne Williams, and Robin Williams. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. The family suggests that donations be made to The American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers.

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Adan Wayne Mitchem-Sanchez, age 42, of Peoria, Arizona, passed away on May 22^nd 2020. Adan was born on February 14^th 1978 to Amanda Mitchem and Tommy Sanchez. Adan grew up in Safford, Arizona, where he graduated from Safford High School.

Adan was a “yes person” he was always ready for adventure. Whether it was going sky diving, taking out the jet skis to see how fast he could go, or jumping into the freezing water at Yosemite Falls on a dare, Adan was always ready for the adventure. He had a sarcastic sense of humor that drove his dad wild with his eye rolls, “really?” and “seriously?” comments. He was, also, full of love and saw the best in everyone. He was always the first to forgive and had unlimited patience for those he loved. Adan was both the rock and the glue for those in his life. If something went wrong or you needed help, Adan was the person to call.

In 1999 Adan met Michael Mueller at Nu Towne Saloon and they quickly fell in love. Adan was the yin to Michael’s Yang. Adan had a balancing quality to his personality. He brought a sense of patience, love, and order into the lives of those he loved. He was a planner and a dreamer and was always trying to help those he loved grow. Adan and Michael could often be found cruising on central or down Scottsdale with the top down blasting their music in one of Adan’s many “toys”. Casada or John Wayne were a staple during their drives.

He loved to learn and was never without a new project. He loved to learn and stay busy. He loved working on his cars, crafting, building gardens, and dressing up his dog Brody. Adan had a Tik Tok and made sure that for every comment, like or follower he got he checked in with them. He used his platform for good. He spread kindness, love, and joy to others at every chance he got.

Adan is survived by his partner of 21 years Michael Muller, his father Tommy Sanchez, sister Samantha Sanchez, niece Willow Sanchez, nephew Mateo Carl Martinez- Sanchez and dog Brody. A public viewing will be held on June 1^st 2020 at Thompsons Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in Adan’s name with the Ryan White Foundation.