William K. Ebel, Jr. died on November 2, 2024, at the age of 92, in Lancaster, PA. Bill resided with his wife, Marilyn Sanko-Ebel at Brethren Village. He was an active member of Highland Presbyterian Church.

He was born in Baltimore, MD on October 29, 1932, to William Kenneth Ebel, Sr. and Florence Sherck Ebel. He grew up on a farm in Maryland where he gained a love of plants from his mother.

Bill attended McDonough School near Baltimore, and in 1954 graduated from the College of Agriculture at Cornell University (Animal Husbandry) with the desire to become a beef cattle farmer. While in college, he joined the ROTC program and upon graduating was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Air Force. After earning his wings as a multi-engine pilot, he was stationed for the 18 months in Goose Bay, Labrador.

Bill began working for Sperry New Holland as a field service tech in 1957-58 in the upper Great Plains area. After leaving the company to get his MBA at the University of Virginia (1960), he returned to work at New Holland for 32 years. He held several department manager positions in the company.

In 1963, Bill joined the Conestoga Valley Association Board, which dealt with environmental issues in Lancaster and sparked his interest in community involvement. Starting in 1985 he served with the following community organizations: Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program, Lancaster County Parks Board, Lancaster County Conservancy.

Upon retirement in 1992, Bill's second career began when he was free to serve more fully in the community. He was a Manheim Township Commissioner from 1992-1999. He served on the Lancaster Intermunicipal Committee, the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and was on the board of directors at Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority Board of Directors for 15 years. In 2000, Bill was the co-founder of the Little Conestoga Watershed Alliance. In 2003 he joined the Coalition for Smart Growth. He was also a dedicated member of the Lancaster HourGlass. Bill was honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 from Lancaster County Planning Commission.

Bill and Marilyn ran the Gardens of Eden Bed & Breakfast out of their home on Eden Road along the Conestoga for 18 years. Bill found great joy in sharing their three acres of wildflowers and his extensive knowledge of native flora with all who visited.

Bill has a passion to learn, make things happen, and work with people who were committed to restoring the natural environment. Among his most rewarding achievements was being involved with the conversion of the CVA trail to the Conestoga Greenway. Bill's passion was centered in restoring our natural areas. He believed that education and human ingenuity can restore natural systems in service of the well-being of our planet. Bill was an avid naturalist with a wealth of knowledge in botany and ornithology.

Bill is survived by his wife of 37 years, Marilyn; his children, William K. III (Janet), Jenny (Mike) Hartigan, Bruce (Suzi); and Marilyn's children, Steve (Rita Clement) Sanko, and Bohni (Ray) Becker. Bill is also survived by 17 grandchildren from his blended family: Alex, Maura,

Jake, Cari, Calder, Grace, Emilia, Hudson; Trev, Kara, Josh, Jenna, Andra, Alyssa, Amanda, Nicholas, and Ryan; 18 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. Bill is additionally survived by his former wife, Carolyn Ebel.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Lydia Andersen.

A celebration of Bill's life will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 11AM at Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 East Roseville Road, Lancaster, PA. A visitation will be held prior to the service from 10AM to 11AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bill's name to Lancaster County Conservancy, 117 S. West End Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17603 or online at www.lancasterconservancy.org .