William "Bill" Robert Cissell, 75, of Sturgis, South Dakota, died May 13, 2023, in the Fort Meade VA from unexpected circumstances.

Bill was born on March 13, 1948, in Faulkton, SD, to Leon and Frances Cissell, one of five children. He graduated from Sturgis Brown High School, in 1966 and went on to attend UC Berkeley for Journalism and Photography. He continued on to attend Black Hills State University, in Spearfish, South Dakota, where he graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science.

He married LaVerne Wilson in 1965, the couple later divorced. In 1982 Bill married Sandra Exe and this marriage also ended in divorce.

Bill's first job was with Metz Bakery, in Rapid City, SD. In 1971 he enlisted in the US Army and served until 1975. During his service he did a tour in Vietnam and in Bamberg, Germany, reaching the rank of Specialist 4th Class. A major change in his career came when he became an editor for the Black Hills Press and Meade County Times in Sturgis. For a time, he was a journalist for the Rapid City Journal, and, in his later years, he started and published The Sturgis Chronicle.

He loved music, preferably 60s to 80s, his photography, and most of all, his family and friends.

William Robert Cissell is survived by his children; son, Duane Wilson, daughter, Valerie Parker, son, Mark Robichaud, son, Paul Robichaud; grandson, Kyler Robichaud; sister, Glenda Crooks; brother, Mike Cissell; and sister, Patti Grant.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, James Cissell.

Memorial service is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 22, 2023, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel, Sturgis, SD. Burial, with military honors, will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

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