William Emil Claussen, Jr., 71

William (Willie) Emil Claussen Jr., age 71, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Willie was born in 1954 in Red Bank, New Jersey, to William Sr. and Catherine (Holmes) Claussen. His family moved to Pompano Beach, Florida, where Willie graduated from both High School and Broward County Vocational Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1972. Willie's first job was working as a produce manager at Grand Union Grocery Store in Pompano Beach, Florida. His good friend Rob Benson's father was a truck driver from Florida, and he was instrumental in encouraging Willie to become a truck driver. Thus, the start of his truck-driving career. He became an owner-operator of heavy dump trucks in Florida for eleven years. Then Willie and his mother moved to Montana about 1985, first to Butte and then to Whitehall in 1987. He operated an 18-wheel tractor-trailer dump truck for a year before driving his long-haul refrigeration truck coast to coast for nine years. Willie then ventured up to Alaska for a year to drive a log truck before returning to Montana to proceed with long-haul refrigeration trucking. Willie was a long-haul semi-truck driver for 50+ years before retiring.

Willie was the definition of a true friend. In Florida and Montana, he was the guy with all the cool cars! He could build the BEST whatever... buggy, airboat... anything! He could calculate all the engineering needed for any project ...Amazing everyone with his hand-built swamp boat or horse trailer! Willie had a heart of gold; he would do anything for his friends and never asked for anything in return. Being an only child, he created a family from the many friendships he developed across the country. With his great sense of humor, he could imitate any sound precisely, hence the long and ever-changing voicemail greeting. Willie was unforgettable, from his signature hats to his love of everything fluorescent orange, nothing was ever done with a single item, hence his enormous collection of Trump memorabilia. He will be sorely missed by all his friends and family. Willie treasured his little poodles, which he had many over the years. He treated and considered all his pets as family, taking the poodles back and forth across the country on every trip.

Willie was briefly married to Robyn Welch of North Carolina. He was preceded in death by his father and mother. Willie is survived by his Uncle Richard and Aunt Elaine Holmes of Cornelius, North Carolina. Close friends include Rob Crowe, Dale and Bridget Morse, Tom and Nancy Wheeler, Rob Bubnich, Doug Bachman, Bill and Sandy Davies, Rob and Carrie Benson, Greg Ziolkowski, and Dennis and Rose Morgan, among many others too numerous to list.

Willie's memorial service is pending and will be announced at a later date.