Obituary for Willard M. "Willy" Culver

Willy was born December 15, 1939, in La Crosse, to Willard E. and Edna (Sackmaster) Culver. Willy grew up on the north side of La Crosse and graduated from Aquinas High School.

Willy met Emily Groeschel in Stoddard, and the two began dating. After about two years, they were married on May 23, 1964, at St. John’s Catholic Church in La Crosse. Together, they had two children, Lorin and Amy.

Willy worked in the factory at Trane Company for over 40 years. When Willy retired, Emily and Amy gifted him a brand new Harley and enjoyed spending time riding throughout the coulee region; Amy joined in on flood runs and weekend rides. He had an exceptional talent designing beautiful stained glass art pieces. From a young age, Willy enjoyed playing chess and spent many hours studying the game, reading chess books, and carefully learning its moves and strategies. He took great pride in teaching the game to his granddaughter, Avah, when she was about two years old, passing on his love of chess to her.

Willy was a Christian man with a deep faith and a long time member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in La Crosse.

Nothing mattered more to him than family, and time with them was his truest happiness. He shared a deep and special bond with his granddaughter, Avah, from the moment she was born. Their relationship was incredibly important to him, and they spent countless days together on little adventures—trips to the library, children’s museums, Dollar Tree, rummage sales, and anywhere Grandma and Papa went. If they were going, Avah wanted to be there. His family extended to his cherished granddog, River, whose unwavering loyalty and companionship brought him comfort and she stayed with him through his final moments.

Willy will be remembered as a kind man who enjoyed the simple things in life. A cold beer on the patio on a Friday night with family and neighbors was his happy place—there was nowhere he’d rather be. Willy loved special family meals, enjoying his son-in-law, Josh’s, wonderful cooking.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 62 years, Emily; daughter, Amy (Josh) Connaughty; son-in-law, Jorge Bravo; granddaughter, Avah Connaughty; granddog, River; sister, MaryAnn “Mac” (Richard) Partridge; two brothers, Ralph (Dawn) Culver and John (Kathy) Culver; nieces; nephews; other relatives; and friends.

Willy was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Lorin; brothers-in-law, Glen and Charles; sisters-in-law, Dorothy, Mildred, and Ruth; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Albert and Christina Groeschel.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in La Crosse. Father G. Richard Roberts will celebrate the Mass. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m., until the time of Mass, Tuesday, at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and may be directed to the Coulee Region Humane Society or Heart2Heart Pet Life Line.

Coulee Region Humane Society: https://couleehumane.betterworld.org/campaigns/make-donation

Heart2Heart: https:https://www.heart2heartpet.org/

Online condolences may be offered to Willy's family at this site.