William“Bill” R. See
POYNETTE-- William “Bill” R. See, 82, of Poynette, passed away on Saturday, October 17, after a brief and courageous battle with cancer.
Bill was born on October 3, 1944, to Mike and Kyra (Curtin) See. He grew up on a farm in Hewitt, Wisconsin, with six siblings. He attended grade school in Hewitt and graduated from Columbus Catholic High School in Marshfield in 1964.
Bill met the love of his life, Diane Weller, on a blind date in the fall of 1964. They began dating, but in the spring of 1965, Bill left for Alaska to work on the pipeline and considered settling there. That July, his mother called to tell him that a letter from Uncle Sam had arrived. Bill answered the call to serve, joining the U.S. Army and completing basic training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Ord, California. In November 1965, he received a rare assignment to a U.S. Army base in Schwabach, Germany. He served there until June 1967 as an intelligence and reconnaissance specialist with the 4th Armored Cavalry Division, rising to the rank of Sergeant E-5.
While stationed in Germany shortly before Christmas 1966, Bill proposed to Diane from afar, with his father presenting her the ring in Wisconsin. She said yes. They married on September 30, 1967, and shared an extraordinary love for more than 59 years, until Bill’s passing. They settled in Poynette and raised four children: Kevin, Kara, Krista, and Kraig. Bill and Diane treasured time with family and enjoyed traveling, snowmobiling, participating in 1840 era rendezvous, riding their Gold Wing motorcycle, and refinishing furniture. Later, they bought a place in Florida, where they spent part of each winter for over 17 years, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
After leaving the Army, Bill worked for a year at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant before joining Oscar Mayer in 1968. He worked in the mechanical division as a pipefitter until retiring in 1997, then managed Hooper Corporation’s plumbing shop for three years. After Hooper, Bill found his true calling as a “jack-of-all-trades” builder and repairman. He built a woodworking shop where he crafted cabinetry, custom furniture, and much more. His skill and determination to “just get it done” took him to Canada, Missouri, Africa, and Florida to build hunting and fishing lodges. No job was too large or too small, but he found his greatest satisfaction in helping his children with their homes and assisting people who could not afford or were unable to do the work themselves.
As one of the earliest members of the Poynette Bowhunters, Bill devoted 50 years to supporting and strengthening the club while promoting his favorite sport: bowhunting. He helped build several clubhouses and ranges, maintained and improved the grounds, served multiple terms on the board of directors, and held the office of president. Even as cancer took its toll, Bill continued volunteering, most recently by spraying weeds in the orchard. In 1998, the club honored his exceptional and enduring service with its Lifetime Membership Award.
Bill loved the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, and above all, bowhunting. A tireless worker, he took pride in accomplishing more by noon than most people did in an entire day. He was a devoted family man who treasured holidays, birthdays, reunions, and countless spontaneous visits with those he loved. With his natural gift for conversation, Bill connected easily with others and made friends wherever he went.
Cancer may ultimately have taken Bill from us, but not before he put up one hell of a fight against that terrible disease. Day after day, like the Golden Gloves boxer he had been in his youth, he stepped back into the ring for another round. He never wavered in his faith or in his determination to live on his own terms, no matter how ill he felt. More than once, the cancer itself must have wondered, “What did I get myself into with this guy?”
Bill is survived by his wife, Diane; 4 children, Kevin (Christine) See, Kara (Chuck) Brokish, Krista (Scott) Adams and Kraig (Jenni) See; his brother, Richard See; sisters, BetteAnn (Gerry) Hauber, Ginny (Bill) Schaufel and Mary Shanks; and 9 grandchildren Chelsea (Aaron) Ho, Kyle Adams, Katie (Brandon) Brereton, Lauren (Chance) Runde, Kirsten (Parker) Kampmann, Tanner (Jenna), Skyler, Wyatt, and Payten. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren, Aubrianna, Norah, Collin, Stella, and Myles William, who was born just a day after Bill’s passing. He was preceded in death by his parents Mike and Kyra; brothers, Dan and Tom; sisters-in-law, Alice and Ann; brother-in- law, Sandy Shanks; and grandchild Cory Adams.
Visitation will be held at Whispering Pines Event Center, 101 Bethel Drive, Poynette, WI, on Thursday, October 29th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at St. Thomas Catholic Church, 655 S. Main Street, Poynette, on Friday, October 30th, at 3:00 PM, with a visitation at the church from 1:00 PM until the time of the service. Following the funeral service, Bill will receive military honors at the church. A celebration of Bill’s life will then follow at the Whispering Pines Event Center until 9:00PM. Burial will be private and held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the UW Carbone Cancer Center or the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association.
Pflanz Mendrala Funeral Home, in Poynette, is assisting the family.
