Bill Bachman Jr.

Bill Bachman Jr., 72, of St. Louis, Missouri, entered into the joy and presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 11, 2025, after a sudden recurrence of lung cancer that severely damaged his heart in March of this year. Bill’s faith and service to God were the foundation of his life. He was born on June 10, 1952, in Rolla, Missouri, and graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1974 with a degree in Engineering Management. He married Debbie (Semmel), his high school sweetheart, on April 23, 1977. They had two wonderful children, Lisa and Brian, who were the loves of his life. Bill and Debbie were just shy of celebrating their 48th anniversary when he passed. When they first met, Bill was racing quarter-mile stock cars on the weekends. His love for speed was a lifelong passion. While dating Debbie, his future mother-in-law would say she could hear his muscle car coming from a block away. Throughout his life, Bill had a dry yet playful sense of humor that endeared him even to his many doctors in recent years, and brought joy and laughter to his family-especially in his final weeks. He was generous to a fault and supported many charities that cared for the poor, helped men recover from drug and alcohol addictions, and provided disaster relief for those in need. Each winter, he served breakfast to the homeless with his church. More than anything, Bill treasured spending time with his kids. He loved traveling to Nashville to visit his daughter Lisa and her family, and cherished his time with his son Brian and his family in St. Louis. He especially enjoyed watching his grandson on weekends and was eagerly looking forward to the birth of his second granddaughter in May. One of Bill’s favorite pastimes was boating with family and friends at the Lake of the Ozarks. What began with a 24-foot speedboat for long rides and water sports eventually included a 42-foot Cigarette racing boat that could reach 82 mph. He used the racing boat to bless others through charity rides for Support Our Troops, the Wishing on a Ride Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He looked forward to those events every year. Bill’s other hobbies included grilling, reading, traveling (especially to Colorado), and building fires in the fireplace. Bill began working at Bachman Machine Company as a teenager over 50 years ago. After college, he ran the NC department, and following his father’s retirement, became President and CEO, eventually becoming the sole owner until his retirement in December 2024. He also served as CEO of PMC, a separate company founded by his father. Bill was deeply committed to providing good jobs in a respectful work environment and enjoyed grilling lunches for the entire BMC staff on special occasions. He was also actively involved in NTMA and SME, two organizations for family business owners in manufacturing, where he and Debbie formed many lifelong friendships. Bill also supported Ranken Technical College, SWIC, and kept close ties with his college fraternity brothers. Bill was looking forward to spending more QUALITY time with his loved ones, TIME AT THE LAKE, and traveling after his retirement. He fought so hard to see that dream come true. Though his time was cut short, his family takes comfort in knowing he is now in heaven-free of pain, free of suffering, and fully at peace. Bill will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Make a Wish Missouri & Kansas Checks may be made out to “Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas” 13523 Barrett Parkway Drive, Suite 241, Ballwin MO 63021 Attn: Stephanie Services: Visitation: Wednesday, April 16th from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Schrader Funeral Home, 14960 Manchester Rd., Ballwin, MO 63011. Visitation: Thursday, April 17th from 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Chesterfield Presbyterian Church, 15037 Clayton Rd., Chesterfield, MO 63017. Church Service: Thursday, April 17th at 10:00 a.m., immediately following the church visitation. The service will conclude at approximately 10:45 a.m., followed by a procession to Bellerive Gardens Cemetery, 740 N. Mason Rd., St. Louis, MO 63141.

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Bill Bachman Jr.

June 10, 1952 - April 11, 2025