Obituary of William W. Oetjen

William W. “Bill” Oetjen passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at the age of 92. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he was a resident of Ridgewood since 1959. Bill was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army serving during WWII. Bill had a long career with over 50 years in the in the automotive industry at the Ford Motor Company, mainly as a Sales Analyst. He was a member of the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ridgewood where he served as recording secretary for many years. He was an avid gardener, enjoyed his train hobby and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Bill will be dearly missed by his family. He is survived by his wife of 66 years Eleanore M. Oetjen; daughter Barbara Baron, her husband Jack; son William Oetjen; three grandchildren: Jennifer Knowles her husband Peter, Gregory Baron, his wife Kristin and Elizabeth Baron; one great grandson Grant; a brother Wallace Oetjen and his wife Sandy. He is also survived by three nephews. Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 10, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, (vpfh.com), 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff with a funeral service commencing at 3:30 p.m. Family and friends will gather on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home for a brief funeral service followed by interment at Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood. Contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, 585 Stewart Ave., Suite 304, Garden City, NY 11530 or to the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450.