Bill Egan, One Of Morongo Valley’s Finest Citizens, Passes On

By Leslie Andrews

MORONGO VALLEY, CA- Morongo Valley Community Council Member William Francis Egan passed away over the weekend after a long battle with emphysema and kidney failure. He was 77 years of age.

Egan was born on October 27, 1932 in Village of Bath, New York. He came to Morongo Valley in 1985 after being a bar owner in Arcadia, California. He bought Susan’s Gateway Lounge, named after his wife in 1989, which is the local’s favorite watering hole. “He was a man who cared for his community,” said Rev. Tony Egan, his son, who led the memorial service honoring his father. “He was a simple man. And he made this town work.”

One of the achievements Egan has accomplished is turning around the Morongo Valley Fire Station, which was underfunded and neglected at first, then turned around with proper financing and made into a reputable station under his leadership with the city. For ten years, Egan also served as a Council Member for the unincorporated area of San Bernardino County.

During his memorial service, the Morongo Valley Community Center was packed with standing room only, surrounded by friends and family. Ken Lindsey, a close friend of Egan’s stated, “He was a man who cared for his country.” And by that, he had also served in the United States Marine Corps. While in the service, he made friends in all races, and stood up for civil rights at a time when segregation was the norm in the United States.

Egan passed away on January 30, 2010 at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He was later laid to rest at the Riverside National Cemetery.