Bill Haag passed away on Monday February 6th 2023 after a courageous battle with liver cancer. Bill was born to Eldon “Buck” Breitbach and Wilma L. (Behrends) Breitbach, and began his early years growing up in Monticello, Iowa. Following his father’s death by automobile accident, Wilma then married Vincent J. Haag who adopted and raised Bill and his older brother Mike as his own. Bill went onto graduate from Kirkwood Community College. He also took classes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Bill worked for several consulting engineering firms before finishing his career working for himself supporting projects with the City of Muscatine.
Bill made his career specializing in on-site construction management. He sought out legacy projects with lasting impacts. Some of his favorite projects include the following construction management projects: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Storm Sewer Pump Station Modifications/Re-Constructions (13), New Orleans, Louisiana; coal strip mining land reclamation projects for the State of Illinois – Ottawa, Canton and Farmington, Illinois; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wobble Tank, Fort Carson, Colorado; U.S.AID Water Supply Project from the Jordan River Valley to the Capital City, Amman, Jordan; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wheeler-Sack Airfield/ Fort Drum – Main Runway Replacement and Mountain Ramp Paving, Watertown, New York; U.S. FDA Level 4 Bio-Containment Laboratories (3) – Ames, Iowa; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami, Florida; Iowa DOT Highway 61 South four lane expansion in Muscatine County; Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) Bridge Over I-35, West Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Speedway & City Utility Services for the Speedway Improvements, Newton, Iowa; Detroit Edison Landfill Gas to Energy (3) – Charlotte, North Carolina; Bellevue, Illinois; Denton, Texas; City of Muscatine, Iowa – Muscatine Airport Main Runway Replacement; Cedar and Logan Street improvements and Round-A-Bout; Mulberry Ave & 2nd Street improvements and Round-A- Bout; Mississippi Drive street scaping and roadway improvements; numerous other bridges, sewer, street & highway projects.
A few of Bill’s personal highlights include: His marriage of nearly 50 years to his beautiful wife, Molly Ann (Muller) Haag, raising their 2 sons Bob and Bart. Coaching his sons on high school and travel soccer teams; while both sons were 6 years apart in age, getting to watch them play college soccer together; taking a 6 week vacation to Florida, the Bahamas and the New Orleans Worlds Fair; going with his wife and mom to Niagara Falls. Bill developed a deep love for the sport of soccer, highlights of his involvement in the sport include founding Koala Football Club in 1985, establishing the Muscatine High School varsity girls soccer program in 1985 and his switch to the boys program in 1990, helping achieve state sanctioning of both boys and girls soccer in Iowa and hosting the first Iowa Boys state HS Soccer tournament at the Muscatine Soccer Complex. Bill continually sought to improve his coaching skills and he acquired his USSF “B” National coaching license in 1995. His achievements in the advancement of high school soccer in the state of Iowa led to him being inducted into both the Boys IHSAA and Girls IGHSAU Hall of Fames.
Coach Haag was once asked to “Dream Big” by a local leader when asked how to improve soccer in Muscatine. This conversation ultimately led to the one project that most embodied the intersection of Bill’s personal and professional passions. This project was the Muscatine Soccer complex, a 41-acre, $3.8 million state of the art soccer facility. Bill served as Vice President of the Muscatine Civic Improvement Foundation (MCIF). MCIF was the project developer and solicitor of the entire project’s private funding and ultimately made the donation of the Muscatine Soccer Complex to the City of Muscatine.
Bill is survived by his wife Molly; his brothers Mike, Dave, Don, Jim and sister Joan Corrporon; his sons Robert (Bob and wife Jennifer), Bartholomew (Bart and wife Talitha), grandchildren Rebecca Haag, Kaitlyn Haag, Allison Haag, Duncan Haag, Dominic Haag; and many nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his father Eldon, mother Wilma, adoptive father Vincent and his father-in-law Robert A. Muller. Bill’s greatest joys and love in life were his family.
Bill had requested to be cremated but would still like family and friends to gather for a visitation at Ralph J. Wittich Riley Freers Funeral Home, Muscatine, Iowa on Saturday, February 11th, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Following the visitation, there will be a celebration of life gathering at Missipi Brewing Company, downtown Muscatine, Iowa from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
After many years of volunteer work, including teaching CPR and First Aid courses for the RED CROSS, the family asks that in lieu of flowers please make memorial donations to the Muscatine Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Bill contributions to the community touched many people, the family has created an email address for anyone who may have old photos and/or stories to share at memoriesofbillhaag@gmail.com There will also be a memory board at visitation for sharing physical copies of any memoriabilia.
