William George

Although his days here ended much too soon, the lives of many were touched in a significant way because of Bill George. He was a fun-loving and vibrant man who measured success not by the accumulation of wealth or possessions, but by the relationships he shared with those around him. There was nothing of greater importance in Bill's life than his family, and his devotion to his wife, children, and grandchildren was unmatched. He continually carried himself with integrity, compassion, and humility that came together to shape him into one extraordinary man who will be deeply missed.

It was with great anticipation that a couple from Racine, Wisconsin, greeted the spring of 1949 as they learned they were expecting a baby in late fall that year. Their wait was over on November 28th when the baby boy they named William made his arrival. He was one of seven children born to his parents, Peter M. and Margaret M. (Beres) George, and was raised in the family home alongside his brothers and sisters, James, Mary, Timothy, Dorothy, Susan, and Charles. Bill was rather shy as a young boy and was known to hide under the bed when company came over, but he was also an active boy as he was an altar boy, a Cub Scout, and played drums in the "All Saints" band.

In many ways Bill experienced an upbringing that was fairly typical for his generation. In fourth grade his family moved to a 10 acre family farm in Franksville where they raised chickens and grew various vegetables and raspberries. Bill's father also poured hot iron in the foundry at Case while his mother was a baker at a local college. He attended St. Joseph Grade School and later went on to St. Catherine's High School. By the time he was a teen Bill had come out of his shell, and he began attending social functions and school dances. He was also active in sports like cross-country, track, and wrestling. While running cross country he was known for always running bare foot, but in track he had to put on shoes because he was running on cinder track. Bill had his own unique wrestling style, earning most of his points on the defense. In fact, the one time his coach encouraged him to go on the offense he broke his right arm, which ended his wrestling career during his senior year. Bill went on to graduate with the class of 1968. From there he continued his education, first receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from UW-Parkside, and later his master's degree from Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Life was forever changed for Bill when he met the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Terry L. Scott, and they met at a wedding during the summer of 1968. Their first official date was to the Wisconsin State Fair, and this became a tradition for them every year since, except for this past year. Another family tradition was celebrating the 4th of July with family and friends by spending the day at the parade, picnicking and attending the evening fireworks. Deeply in love, the couple was married on October 30, 1971, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Together they were blessed with three daughters, Laura, Caroline, and Michelle. As a father Bill could be strict when needed, yet he deeply loved his girls and allowed things like curfews to fall along the wayside at times. Although reluctantly, Bill also allowed two poodles to be well-loved members of the family.

Bill cherished his family and made family time a priority. Some of their most memorable moments were spent on annual vacations, often with a golf course nearby. Among their many destinations were Myrtle Beach, Orlando and Disney World, Ft. Lauderdale, California, Williamsburg, the Smokey Mountains, Wisconsin Dells, Las Vegas, a cruise to Belize, Cozumel, and the Cayman Islands. Bill and Terry were also able to take vacations to Hawaii and St. Martin on their own. Holidays were always spent together with extended family, and becoming a grandfather was certainly a highlight of his life. His grandchildren were always welcome for sleepovers, and they all looked forward to egg hunts at Easter.

With his education behind him Bill was poised for a rewarding career. For 37 years he worked for J.I. Case Company, now CNH, where he established relationships with coworkers who became lifelong friends with whom he played golf, bowled, and traveled. Bill loved his work and had a strong work ethic. He was a member of the J.I. Case 20 Year Club in addition to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Bill traveled extensively for work to Germany , Japan, Spain, England, New York, Russia, Venice, Italy, and Sweden. Terry was lucky enough to be able to join Bill on some of these trips.

Throughout his life Bill's journey was enriched in so many ways. He was a man of faith and was presently a member of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Everyone knew of Bill's passion for golf, and he loved heading out on the links with everyone including family, friends, coworkers, and even his oldest grandson. It was certainly a day to remember when Michelle out-golfed her father when she was just 12! On one of the weekend getaways with friends, Bill went golfing at Skyline Golf Course. He hit his tee shot and hit a power line that caused the ball to sling shot back at the guys and actually landed behind them. The foursome laughed and then they made Bill hit his second shot from where the ball landed. No mulligans with your best buddies. Bill also liked working around the home and was into gardening, home design, and tackling home improvement projects. Of course he was a fan of the Packers and the Brewers, and he had a diverse palette of music that he enjoyed like the Beach Boys, Kenny Rogers, oldies, and even chant music from the Benedictine Monks.

The list of things we will miss about Bill is extensive. He leaves behind invaluable lessons like the importance of measuring twice and cutting once, saving room for dessert, Case Tractors are the only real tractors, tomatoes are even sweeter with sugar, you can find a catholic church anywhere, a love of golf, a love of fine wine, don't put off tomorrow what you can do today, God helps those who help themselves, sleepovers at grandma and grandpa's house were always okay with grandpa, in addition to matters of the heart like attending church as a family and having a strong faith. Bill was easygoing, yet was competitive, and was usually game to try any kind of food in any country he visited. His memory will remain forever near and dear to our hearts.

William T. George died on Friday, October 5, 2012. Bill's family includes his wife, Terry; three daughters, Laura (Jason) Monosa, Caroline (Andrew) Beere, Michelle (Aaron) Rogers; grandchildren, Tyler, Alexis, and Emily Monosa, Benjamin, Rebekah and Samuel Beere, Kailee George, Maximilian and Alexander Rogers; brothers and sisters, James (Nancy) George, Mary (Thomas) Simonsen, Timothy (Kathy) George, Dorothy Lingard, Susan (Rick) Gehrig, Charles (Cindy) George; brothers-in-law, Alan (Virginia) Scott, Robert (Sheila) Scott, Ken Scott; and nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many dear friends. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Albert and Elaine Scott.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, October 13, 2012, 10:00 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 6400 Spring Street, with Rev. Terrance J. Huebner officiating. Entombment will follow at Holy Cross Garden Mausoleum, Hwy 32. Relatives and friends may meet with the family Friday at the funeral home from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Saturday at the church from 9:00 a.m. until time of Mass at 10:00 a.m. Memorials to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, American Cancer Society, or the American Heart Association have been suggested. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory.

Arrangements provided by MARESH-MEREDITH AND ACKLAM FUNERAL HOME, 803 MAIN ST RACINE, WI, (262) 634-7888.