A tribute to a godly man

Daughter Tara Stucky, founder of Cause Coffee in De Soto, shares her heart on behalf of the Wilting Family. Her father, Bill Wilting, made an incredible impact locally in De Soto, and internationally through many mission trips he was passionate about. His presence will be missed by many near and far.

Sometimes in a community there is a person with such great impact that countless lives are never the same. If this person lives under the radar and quietly lives his/ her life making other people’s lives better, then you might not have heard of him. Bill Wilting was just that kind of man. His life on this earth may be over, but the difference he made will go on forever. Bill and his wife, Donna, lived in the De Soto School District area since 1976 and became residents of De Soto in 2004. Although Bill traveled to many places, De Soto, Kansas, was his home. He loved this town and its residents. In the 1990’s Bill closed his construction business because he had a vision of working full time with teenagers and investing in their lives. In 1995, Bill and Donna founded our local De Soto Youth Ministries, a not-for-profit, non denominational youth organization, dedicated to helping teens make the most out of their decisions, talents, and lives. Hundreds of teenagers have been involved through the years in De Soto Youth Ministries, headquartered in downtown De Soto. Bill invested time in hundreds of teens lives by getting to know them, going to their games, and he even drove an activity bus for the high school just to spend more time with them. Bill was respected by school officials and would be called in at times to help in a crisis situation. De Soto High School even asked if a student who was in crisis could come live with Bill and Donna. Of course they said yes. In fact, they had a total of five De Soto students live with them at different times. One thing that Bill loved to do was take a group of teens on a mission trip to a third-world country to make a global difference in the lives of people in need. Bill traveled on 60 trips bringing hope and tangible help to those in need, all the while training young people on the trip to do the same. Schools, orphanages, and villages needing food were just some of the recipients of his amazing effort. But the people he affected the most with his selfless giving was his family. He was one of the best dads anyone has ever had. The way the public saw him was also how he privately lived in his home. His greatest joy was taking care of his wife, kids, and grandkids. I know this because he was my Daddy. Bill was my earthly hero and my father. He taught me to love God, my country, my family, and my community. He also instilled in me a love of travel, history, reading, hiking, sailing, and baseball. He lived his life by example and showed me how to reach for dreams and accomplish them. When I went to him with my idea of Cause Coffee, he embraced my dream and gave me space in his organization’s building in downtown De Soto. He was very proud of the community impact the coffee shop had on its customers. as well as the way our not-for-profit coffee shop gives back to help those in need. He donated hundreds of volunteer hours of service washing dishes at Cause Coffee. In July of 2020, I lost my dad way too young, to a mysterious tropical illness. But De Soto lost an amazing man who had done a quiet work for many years in the community. The incredible thing is, that if you were someone whose life was affected by Bill Wilting, then you have the ability to keep his legacy alive. Be kind to people. Go that extra mile to help someone ... even if it isn’t convenient for you. Care about today’s youth and future generations. But most of all, love your family and live with integrity. Live like Bill, so his impact will never end. That is just how I intend to live my own life!

–Submitted and written by Tara Stucky, founder Cause Coffee

De Soto Youth Ministries 33180 West 83rd Street PO Box 545, De Soto, KS 66018 (913) 583-3411

Memorial Gifts in Bill’s honor May be given in memory of Bill to De Soto Youth Ministries or Cause Coffee. S www.desotoyouthministries Memorial gifts will be used for community needs. Tax receipt available upon request.

Cause Coffee 33180 West 83rd Street De Soto, KS 66018 facebook Cause Coffee KC

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord awards.