William Goff
William Edward Goff, “Bill,” 92, of Staples passed away May 1, 2026.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, June 19, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Staples. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church.
Interment will be at Evergreen Hill Cemetery, Staples.
Bill was born November 7, 1933, to Lee and Francis (Jay) Goff in Staples. Bill attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and graduated from Staples High School in 1951. On April 7, 1953, Bill married the love of his life, Janis Simon. Together, they raised their four sons in Staples.
After high school, Bill went to work for Northern Pacific Railroad. He also worked at Jenkins Appliance and the Staples Locker Plant. Bill went to work for a cable TV company in the 1960’s setting up cable TV service for area cities, including Staples, Wadena and Park Rapids. Bill eventually returned to Jenkins Appliance and bought into the business.
Bill served on the Staples Volunteer Fire Department for 32 years. He joined the Fire Department in 1958, serving as Fire Chief for many years beginning in 1979. Bill served as a director for the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association. During this time, Bill envisioned creating a facility where the firefighters, law enforcement and first responders from around the state could come for specialized training. After many years of meetings in St. Paul with legislators, including Representative Rick Krueger and Governor Perpich, Bill’s vision became a reality with the groundbreaking ceremony for Minnesota Emergency Responders Training Academy (MERTA) in Staples, on October 3, 1985. Bill served as MERTA’s training coordinator before retiring in 1999.
Bill said that outside of his pride for his family, he was very proud of his service to his community and the lifelong friends he made while serving on the Fire Department. Bill enjoyed hunting and fishing with family and friends, gardening, and making maple syrup and pickles. He was an excellent teacher who had a great sense of humor.
Bill is survived by four sons, Mike (Mary Jo), Mark (Julie), Pat (Beverly) and Dan (Shirley); five grandchildren, Jessie Goff, Christopher (Jackie) Goff, Emily (Micah) McGinnity, Ryan (Erika) Goff and Maren (Joel) Martin; nine great-grandchildren, Riley, Austin, Charlotte, Lincoln, Merrick, Lyndie, Emma, Madden and Ari; one brother, Richard (Mary) Goff; one sister, Sandy Harper and many nieces, nephews and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Janis; one granddaughter, Tina Goff; two brothers, Darwin and Robert and several in-laws.
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