William G. Cratsenberg, 80, of Calcium, NY, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY.

He was born on October 15, 1945, in Watertown, NY, the son of Ralph R. and Ethel N. (LaForty) Cratsenberg. William attended Copenhagen Central School and later continued his education at RIT.

On July 2, 1966, he married the love of his life, Janet I. Dalton, at the Copenhagen Congregational Church. The couple began their married life in Rochester, NY, where William worked as a machinist at High Speed Hammer, Inc. After a short time, they moved to LaFargeville, where he continued his work as a machinist with several companies, including Frink;s Snowplow, Black Clawson, and New York Air Brake. Bill and Jan have been long-time residents of Calcium, NY for the past 52 years, where they raised their children.

William later began a long and dedicated career as a truck driver. He owned and operated his own truck and also worked for various transportation companies over the years, including Landstar Trucking and Velocity Express. He retired in 2018 from Penske Truck Rental. He was a proud member of Teamsters Local 687.

In addition to his work, William became a certified locksmith and was known for his ability to fix just about anything. He had a lifelong passion for anything with wheels or an engine. He enjoyed working on cars and trucks, attending dirt track and drag races, and also watching NASCAR. In his younger years, he even participated in drag racing himself.

William is survived by his beloved wife, Janet I. Cratsenberg of Calcium, NY; his son and daughter-in-law, Mark R. and Lisa Cratsenberg of LaFargeville, NY; and his daughters and sons-in-law, Tammy and William Herbst of Walworth, NY, and Tina and Paul Timmerman of Rodman, NY.

A very special sister-in-law, Rosemary (Dalton) Houghtaling and her companion David Davis reside in Evans Mills.

He is also survived by eight grandchildren: Amanda (Martin) Schober, Dillan (Mindy) Stoddard, Brittany (Will) Uksas, Bethany Cratsenberg and her fiancé Ed Hoyler, Olivia Cratsenberg, Tyler Herbst, Ashley (Justin) Crites, and Kristina Herbst and her fiance' Ben Ruffell; as well as eight great-grandchildren: Sophia, Mackenzie, Wyatt, Emmett, Cooper, Mila, Eleanor, and Jack. He is further survived by several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Douglas Cratsenberg, his sister, Helen LaRose, 3 brothers-in-law Raymond, Michael & Thomas Dalton.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hart & Bruce Funeral Home. In keeping with William’s wishes, he will be cremated, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, care of Stacey Spaziani ,204 Iroquois Avenue W, Watertown, NY 13601, or to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the providers and nurses at St Joseph's Hospital who took care of Bill in his final weeks. Also a special Thank You to his niece Shelly Excell for her continuous support and the time she spent with him and the family.

Additionally, the family wishes to acknowledge Tina for being a constant source of support to Dad throughout this difficult time.

Online condolences may be left at www.hartandbrucefh.com.