William Henry 'Bill' Williams

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Williams, William Henry "Bill" Passed away at age 72 on Thursday morning, September 15th. Preceded in death by his mother, Kay; father, Bill; step-mother, Lucy; brother, Dick. Survived by his devoted wife of 45 years, Joyce; daughter, Katie; son, Mike; sister, Mary Kay (Jack) Mathiasen; many cousins, nieces and nephews. Bill was born in New York City; due to his father's FBI career, the family moved every 2 years until settling in Wayzata, MN, during his 10th grade. He played basketball center for Wayzata and was on the 1959 team that took State; playing under Coach Hutton at Hamline U., St. Paul, which is where he and Joyce met. He began a career in sales & marketing with 3M, next worked for Sico, Inc., which took him to many international locations in the hospitality industry. By 1986, he was hired by Billy Bye of National Benefits, Inc., to open the K-12 Education Market to a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, becoming the first to introduce the idea of employer-matching-plans to that sector. This proved to be the career he'd always wanted, leading Bill & Joyce to purchase the Education Division in 1999, having his own company until his retirement in 2008. Bill served several years as President of the Piper Athletic Assoc., having a part in bringing Coach John Wooden as keynote speaker in 1995 for the 100 yr. Basketball Heritage Celebration (1st Intercollegiate game played at Hamline, February 1895). He cherished membership in TC Dunkers, supporting student athletes from Mpls & St. Paul. Bill had a special love for Alexandria, MN, specifically Lake Darling, where his family summered since 1955 in the cabin his father built. In 1991, Bill had his own place just 2 doors down from the original cabin. Weekends found him there: water-skiing, golfing at the Alexandria GC, enjoying friends who came to play in his annual golf tournament of 17 yrs., being a founding member of The Legacy of the Lakes Antique Boat Museum, relishing rides in his 1947 Chris Craft. Bill was a faithful, loyal, loving husband, a playful devoted father, a teasing brother & a fun-loving trusted friend. The years he endured Alzheimer's Disease proved him to be a man of great courage and acceptance. His Celebration of Life will be Wednesday, October 5, at Interlachen GC, 6200 Interlachen Blvd., Edina, 55436; 3:00 visitation, 4:00 service followed by a reception/sharing time. In lieu of flowers: memorials to the Alzheimer's Association. GILLBROTHERS.com NEW HOPE, MN 763 531 1777

Published on September 25, 2016