Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
William Joseph Justesen was born in The Dalles, Ore., on Feb. 15, 2000, and passed away too soon on March 21, 2022, in Denver, Colo. He was 22 years old.
William attended Colonel Wright Elementary School, The Dalles Middle School and graduated from The Dalles High School in 2017. He participated in many youth sports including soccer, football, wrestling, and continued playing basketball and baseball into high school. He was well-known for throwing a baseball very fast but keeping batters on their toes as he wasn’t always sure where it was going! He later worked at Big Jim’s, Maupin’s Stoves and Spas and Mobley Fencing.
William was an intelligent, creative, and complex soul. Two of his biggest passions were food and music. He often prepared delicious dishes for himself or his family and, although he was an outstanding cook, he was not always the best dishwasher! He loved to try new foods and very much enjoyed a trip to experience Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas for his 21st birthday.Â
He had a very eclectic taste in music. He was particularly inspired by song lyrics and wrote several deep and moving songs. He shared many of his songs on social media and often sent links to songs that he liked to family and friends.
William was known for his sense of humor. He spent many hours watching stand-up comedy, Arrested Development, and old Saturday Night Live clips. He took great satisfaction in making people roll their eyes at puns he either heard or made up. His intelligent wit made everyone laugh.Â
He had a huge heart and an infectious smile. Young children adored him and were drawn to his gentle way. He was loyal to his friends and family and loved them all very much. He was fiercely protective and so very proud of his sister.
He took many trips with his family but was most content in the cool, fresh air of the Oregon coast. He truly took great pleasure in flying kites on the beach and playing in the freezing water. He also had a fondness for all animals, but especially the family dogs Chloe and Dexter.
William is survived by his parents, Dawn and Jeff; his sister and best friend, Maggie; his grandparents, Bill and Laurene Sallee; and his aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, and friends who all loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his beloved grandparents, Ed and Mary Ann Justesen and his great-grandmother, Mary Fields.
William’s family takes comfort in knowing he spent his last three months in a very supportive environment where he had the opportunity meet new people and to explore his addictions as well as to explore his creativity through journaling, poetry, and song lyrics. He was very aware of his personal struggles but never wanted to be a burden to others.
He is gone too soon but left this earth knowing he was well loved. Our lives will never be the same without him, but all our lives are better for having known and loved him.
A celebration of William will be held on Saturday, April 16 at 2 p.m. at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center, 402 E. Scenic Drive, The Dalles. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in William's name to The Next Door, Inc. or Home At Last Humane Society.
Sending heartfelt prayers and thoughts for your family over the loss of your beautiful son William. Enjoyed many years of watching him play baseball. So very sorry for your loss.
I would like to send my dearest condolensces to the Justesen family. Will was a good friend of mine here during treatment. We loved a lot of the same music, and I adored how wise and talented he was. I am deeply saddened by his loss. We had a mixed NA and AA memorial meeting for him here at Mountain Springs, and I helped facilitate it. It was beautiful, just like he was. I am truly grateful to have known him. Take care,
Dawn, Jeff, Maggie and family, we love you all and you have always been family to us. Will was a special soul and will be dearly missed. What a wonderful tribute written about his life. We’ve witnessed his love for children and how they migrated to him at family functions and we know how much he loved his family. Love, Charla & Rick
I want to offer my condolences to the Justesen family and all of William’s loved ones. Will was one of my first friends at treatment and was in my group. He always put a smile on my face with his witty jokes. I loved listening to his poems and songs that he shared with me. One particular favorite memory was when he shared with me a newly written song and asked if I liked it. It was a beautiful piece along with all of his other creations. Another favorite memory was in group when he told the funniest joke and it made me laugh so hard. He was truly a light in my life. I am very grateful to have met William and he will be missed so much. Again, sending my love and sympathy to all of William’s loved ones.
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Sending heartfelt prayers and thoughts for your family over the loss of your beautiful son William. Enjoyed many years of watching him play baseball. So very sorry for your loss.
I would like to send my dearest condolensces to the Justesen family. Will was a good friend of mine here during treatment. We loved a lot of the same music, and I adored how wise and talented he was. I am deeply saddened by his loss. We had a mixed NA and AA memorial meeting for him here at Mountain Springs, and I helped facilitate it. It was beautiful, just like he was. I am truly grateful to have known him. Take care,
-RJ
Jeff and family,
Please accept my condolences. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Best wishes.
Mike Thompson
Dawn, Jeff, Maggie and family, we love you all and you have always been family to us. Will was a special soul and will be dearly missed. What a wonderful tribute written about his life. We’ve witnessed his love for children and how they migrated to him at family functions and we know how much he loved his family. Love, Charla & Rick
I want to offer my condolences to the Justesen family and all of William’s loved ones. Will was one of my first friends at treatment and was in my group. He always put a smile on my face with his witty jokes. I loved listening to his poems and songs that he shared with me. One particular favorite memory was when he shared with me a newly written song and asked if I liked it. It was a beautiful piece along with all of his other creations. Another favorite memory was in group when he told the funniest joke and it made me laugh so hard. He was truly a light in my life. I am very grateful to have met William and he will be missed so much. Again, sending my love and sympathy to all of William’s loved ones.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.