William Arthur Sobke

William Arthur Sobke, born February 13, 1943, passed away January 05, 2018.  He is survived by his loving wife, Sandy and daughter, Kelly; brother, Fred Bryan Sobke and his family and children; sister-in-laws; nephews and nieces who have made Bill a Great-Great Uncle; plus many cousins and their families.

He was born in Calexico, California and was schooled in El Cajon, California. After graduation, he joined the air force in 1963. While stationed in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1966, he became smitten with Sandy. After serving his country in Viet Nam, he returned to the States and moved to Florida where he and Sandy married.  They had one daughter, Kelly, and as of October 29th of this past year, they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary together.

He was known by many nicknames and A.K.A,’s… "Suicide Sobke" from the Fire Department and ambulance company where he would drive like a maniac on a mission to get to an emergency call; "Hey Joe" by many of the neighborhood acquaintances who only knew of him, and that he was the "go-to" guy for things, but didn't know his name; Billy; Willy; Poppy; and many more.  Always a man of honor and reliable beyond measure, he would do anything for anyone.  At times, being a man of all trades could become a curse as balancing time for himself and family would be challenging.  He loved animals and throughout his entire lifetime has had the pleasure of loving and caring for many four-legged, as well as feathered pets.

When he first came to Boca he worked for the Carriage House that was off Dixie Highway. He took on side jobs fixing hearing aids and worked for a communication company called Transatronics.  From there, he was invited to join the Boca Raton Fire Department which became his ultimate passion.  He thrived there, and in his self-made Appliance Installation Business until his heart attack in 1983.  He spent his 40th Birthday in the hospital that year which sadly put an end to his career as a Firefighter. His heart and soul were always with the Fire Department.  He remained an active member of the Union and, given the multitude of accidents and mishaps that occurred around his home address, he was often first on the scene before the trucks had time to arrive.  For all of those valiant and heroic efforts, he was awarded a Community Service Award and Key to the City from the Mayor of Boca Raton. 

He is thought of as the last of the good guys, a Boca Icon, a loyal friend, a loving father and husband.  All who know him loved him dearly... oh-so sorely missed and truly, a legend in his time.

A celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2018, at the Glick Family Funeral Home 3600 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL. 33431 561-672-1800. At 10:00 AM, there will be a gathering.  11:00 AM will begin the services.  A reception at The Elks Club 1395 North Federal Highway. 561-395-9836 immediately following services.  For those who wish to attend, the Veteran's internment will follow at the South Florida National Cemetery 6501 South State Road 7 Lake Worth, FL. 33449, 561-649-6489 at 2:30pm.

Bill has always loved his pets and other animals. 

In lieu of flowers: Please make donations to:

The Boca Raton Tri-County Animal Shelter (Tri-County Humane)

21287 Boca Rio Road

Boca Raton, FL. 33433

https://tricountyanimalrescue.com/donate/donate-memory-honor/

https://tricountyanimalrescue.com/donate/walkway-bricks/

 Service Information