Dr. William 'Bill' S. Ruben

Dr. William Bill Shannon Ruben was born on September 6, 1949 to Osborne and Mary (Sinsel) Ruben and died unexpectedly in Grand Island on March 26, 2013. Memorial Services will be 11:00 A.M. Saturday at Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island. Inurnment will at 10:00 A.M. Saturday at the Chapman Cemetery. Mr. Phil Towl will be officiating. To honor Bills wishes, his body was cremated. There will not be a public visitation. Memorials are suggested to Pheasants Forever or Ducks Unlimited, in lieu of flowers. When he was presented to his mother she said "that's not my baby he has red hair" but he was, and ever after he was her favorite with his steel blue eyes that matched hers. Billy as he was known in his early years and even through college was raised in Chapman Nebraska, attended school there and finished his high school years at Grand Island Senior High School, graduating in 1967. Bill attended the University of Nebraska and in his sophomore year took the Dental Exam just to see how he would score--to his surprise he was accepted into the University Of Nebraska Dental School. After graduating in 1973, he journeyed to Australia where he practiced dentistry at the Royal Dental Hospital in Melbourne. Upon returning back to Nebraska he had many travel tales about his journey around the world. Those were Bill's hippie years sporting long red hair, laid back attitude and slightly anti-establishment convictions. He later traveled extensively in South American and Europe. Bill practiced dentistry in Omaha with his good friend Dr. Rick Sample but in 1998 Dr. Dave Lofgreen, his long-time hunting buddy lured him back to Grand Island where he joined Island View Dental. Bill loved his good friends in Omaha, especially the early years of squash, golf and the Friday night dinners, but the best time for him was always hunting. He was the happiest walking the fields, searching for that perfect shot be it deer, quails, ducks, geese or turkeys--and don't forget fishing in Alaska. He relished the time traveling with Dave and Volney to the cabin or running Minnie his dog in the country at Steve and Cheryl's pasture land. He was a true sportsman. Bill had a very kind and empathic personality that spilled over into his dental practice. He was a great listener and went out of his way to please people plus he was a good cook--his steaks were awesome. His knowledge of Nebraska Football facts was unbeatable. He was a member of the Third City Sertoma Club, Pheasants for Ever, and Ducks Unlimited. Professional Memberships Bill was a part of are Hall County Dental Association, Nebraska Dental Association, American Dental Association, and Academy of General Dentistry. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary and Osborne Ruben. Those left to survive him are his sister, Sally Ruben and her husband, Hardy Leggett of York, Nebraska; brother, Doug and his wife, Connie of Lincoln, Nebraska, and their daughters, Dr. Dawn Ruben of Baltimore, Maryland, Nicole Schmidt and her husband, Doug, and their children, Collin and Olivia of Lincoln, Nebraska; his hunting buddies and a host of relatives and friends.