ALTON — William “Bill” Diddlebock, a longtime Alton educator, coach and parks official who spent decades working with local students and athletes, died Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at age 84.
Diddlebock was widely known in Alton for his years in School District 11, where he began teaching and coaching in 1965 and remained for 35 years. He taught physical education and health and coached basketball, track and cross country. He also coached tennis at Marquette Catholic and created the Bud Simpson Tennis Tournament.
Mike Drake, former executive director of Alton Park and Recreation, said Diddlebock’s death was deeply personal. Diddlebock was the recreation director while he was the executive director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
“I feel like my dad just died again,” Drake said Monday, adding that losing Diddlebock was like “losing a second father.”
Diddlebock’s favorite sport was basketball. He was an outstanding high school basketball player and later received a full basketball scholarship to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he played for four years.
In addition to his work in the school district, Diddlebock was involved in Alton Parks and Recreation programs and organized many sports camps. Drake said Diddlebock was “integral to our programs and loved kids.”
“He was always in coaching,” Drake said. “He was a teacher even in park and rec.”
Drake also described Diddlebock as a committed learner who regularly attended Illinois Parks and Recreation conferences and seminars with him while he was executive director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
“Bill was always anxious to learn more,” Drake said. “He had that teacher in him, and we just wanted to bring the best back to Alton.”
Drake said Diddlebock was “one of the nicest people ever met” and “always the first one to help.”
Diddlebock married Judith (Kahney) Diddlebock in 1967 in Alton. He is survived by a daughter, Amy Elizabeth, and a son, William Christopher, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Drake said Diddlebock was also a “great father, grandfather and great-grandfather.”
Throughout his career in schools and recreation, Diddlebock remained active in youth sports and local athletics, including track events, where Drake said he continued helping time races.
Diddlebock’s daughter may have summed him up the best in a social media post: “My papa never met anyone who didn’t love him. He made everyone laugh, smile, and did so much for this community and everyone around him. He was our gentle giant. He is the best person I know and is our whole world.”
