Bill A. Darin

William “Bill” A. Darin, 83, of Moline, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at home, surrounded by his family, after a courageous 6.5-year battle with bladder cancer.

Born on October 27, 1942, in Joliet, Illinois, Bill was the son of Anthony and Olga (Zamkovitz) Darin. He married Debra Keller on January 6, 2001, in Michigan City, Indiana. He previously had married Charline Hoefflin and Marian Sunkin.

A graduate of Joliet Township High School and Joliet Junior College, Bill held several roles in his community, serving as charter president of the Lions Club of Colona, as a board member of the Henry County Bank in Colona, on the board that established the Colona Memorial Day parade, and on the Hanna Township homeowners association. He took great pride in his varied careers, working at Ted’s Dex in Rockdale, Illinois, for General Finance Loan Company in Moline, as owner and operator of Gailliaert’s Hardware and Gas in Colona, and for more than 20 years in the casino industry as a shift manager at Blue Chip Casino and other casinos in Indiana, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Iowa. An avid harness horse racer, he cherished his wins, especially the 1988 Breeders Crown victory with Annie Crombie, and held special affection for his horses Kelly Tuck Lee and Straight Stick. In retirement, he remained active driving for Grubhub and Lyft and performing insurance inspections.

Bill had a gift for making people laugh and spoke his mind with impeccable timing, often delivering one-liners that left family, friends, and even strangers smiling. Though he showed his deep love through teasing, sarcasm, and playful troublemaking, his devotion to his family was unwavering. He treasured his time with his grandchildren above all else. He enjoyed living in the Quad Cities, Michigan City, Jacksonville, and Port Charlotte, Florida, and left behind a legacy of laughter, memorable stories, and his signature phrases, “Take a Good Look” and “W.G.S.”

He is survived by his beloved wife of 25 years, Debbie Darin of Moline, Illinois; daughters, Julie (Geoff) Untiedt of Rock Island, Illinois and Michelle (Earl) Ferrell of Michigan City, Indiana; step-daughter, Brooke Keller of Michigan City, Indiana; grandchildren, Zachary McClue of Michigan City, Indiana and Daryn Untiedt of Rock Island, Illinois; step-grandchildren, Amarah Spikes of Michigan City, Indiana, Paige (Brian) Sullivan, and Corey (Erin) Ferrell; cousins, Sharon Zamkovitz, Joan Zamkovitz of Joliet, Illinois, Joyce Bertino, and Linda Karr of San Diego, California; sisters-in-law, Laurie Richardson, Susie Sobecki, Diane (Dale) Bogoslawski of Michigan City, Indiana, and Julie Sobecki of Florida; special friends, Oliver (Len) Ketron, Mike Ontiveros, and Robert Drancik; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tony and Olga Darin; sister, Judith Darin-Suffern; cousin, Paula Harvey; uncles, John Darin, William Darin, James Darin, Tino Darin, Paul Zamkovitz, and Nick Zamkovitz; aunts, Helen Parker, Mary Darin, Munya Karr, and Annie Zamkovitz; and his beloved dog, Puffy.