William “Bill” Leeberg, of Plainfield, formerly of Downers Grove, at rest June 15, 2026.
Beloved father of Trinity (Dennis) Foster, Kenneth “K.C.” (Lindsay) Leeberg, Cootie (Sam) Schilf, Ty Leeberg, and Grace Leeberg; grandfather of Chase, Beckham, Harper, Jameson, Brooklyn, and Cameron; dearest brother of David Leeberg and Elizabeth (Steven) Sisko; fond uncle of several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Marion (nee Baron) Leeberg.
A proud graduate of Montini Catholic High School, Bill made school history as the first alumnus to return to Montini as a faculty member. During a distinguished 37-year career, he served as an English teacher, Admissions Director, Dean, Assistant Football Coach, Assistant Basketball Coach, and Head Varsity Baseball Coach. As an educator, he was beloved by generations of students and was especially known for his memorable recitation of the classic baseball poem Casey at the Bat, a performance that became a cherished Montini tradition.
As head baseball coach, Bill built one of the most successful programs in Illinois high school baseball history. In his first season, he led the Broncos to a conference championship and the school’s first IHSA Regional Championship. Over a coaching career spanning more than three decades, he compiled 732 victories, ranking among the winningest coaches in Illinois history and standing among the top ten winningest coaches in IHSA history at the time of his retirement. His accomplishments earned him induction into the Montini Catholic Alumni Hall of Fame, the Lewis University Athletics Hall of Fame Academy of Coaches, and the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
After retiring from education and coaching, Bill found great joy in serving his community as a crossing guard for the Plainfield Police Department, a role he proudly held for the past 13 years. He cherished the opportunity to greet students and families each day and remained a familiar, friendly, and trusted presence in the community he loved.
Memorial visitation will be held on Monday, June 22, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cappetta’s West Suburban Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 4920 Main Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Mary of Gostyn Catholic Church, 445 Prairie Avenue, Downers Grove, IL 60515.
All are asked to gather at Cappetta’s West Suburban Funeral Home at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, prior to the Funeral Mass, to participate in a drive-by of Montini Catholic High School before proceeding to St. Mary of Gostyn Church.
Private interment will be held at a later date at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Special Olympics Illinois, a cause close to Bill’s heart, in honor of the athletes whose courage, determination, and love of sport inspired him throughout his life.
Funeral Info 630-852-8000 or westsuburbanfh.com
Leeberg at the Bat
In memory of William “Bill” Leeberg
The outlook was mournful at Montini’s gates today;
For word had come that Coach had passed, and joy had slipped away.
The chalkboard stood in silence and the dugout held its breath,
And all who knew his steady heart now mourned the kindest of the rest.
A proud son of the Broncos, he had walked those halls before,
Then came back home to teach the game and so much, so much more.
The first to wear the colors twice, as student, then as guide,
Near forty years he poured himself, Montini’s truest pride.
And oh, how he could bring to life that ballad we all know,
The mighty Casey at the bat, the hush, the fateful throw.
He’d stand and speak it word for word, his voice both warm and grand,
Till every student in the room could see Mudville’s worn old stand.
He built a baseball powerhouse the state had rarely known;
He won seven hundred thirty-two, a record all his own.
A conference crown his first year out and the school’s first Regional too!
Among the winningest in the state before his days were through.
But ask the ones who played for him as the wins were not the thing;
It was the way he lifted you, the steadiness he’d bring.
A teacher, dean, and mentor, fair and patient all his days,
He met you right where you were stood and showed you better ways.
And when at last he hung it up, the whistle and the chalk,
He took a vest and a stop sign, no job too small to walk.
For thirteen years in Plainfield he would wave each child along,
A friendly face who somehow made the morning feel less wrong.
He loved the ones who tried the hardest, hearts that wouldn’t yield,
The Special Olympics athletes blazing courage down the field.
He saw in them the very truth he’d preached through all his years:
That how you play is what survives, far more than scoreboard cheers.
Oh, somewhere bats are silent now, and somewhere eyes are wet,
And somewhere all Montini mourns a story it won’t forget.
But there is joy yes, there is joy in every heart he taught,
For Coach Bill stepped up, and swung, and grinned, and did not strike out.
Bill, you will be missed❤️❤️
As our charter class was so small, and intimate,we knew each other really well, and sports were a great part of your life always❤️❤️
Resting now with your loved ones at heavens gates🙏🏻🙏🏻
My deepest sympathies and condolences for your loving family, and friends🙏🏻
Your classmate,
Montini alumni Kathleen Duffy class 70.
It is with deep sadness to know we have lost another charter classmate. As Kathleen stated we were a very small group of 13 and 14 years old’s that started a high school back in 1966. We grew up together and went into so many different fields. Bill found his calling in giving back to the same school that taught him. He lives on with every student that he taught. He was a great example of how to be successful in a sport he loved.
Bill, you will be missed by your classmates and all you taught.
My sincere sympathy to Bill’s family. He will always be a “whisper away” from all of you. He is your “special angel” who will watch over you and his Montini family.
My Deepest Sympathy,
Janice Baldasar Morgando class of ’70