Obituary: William “Bill” Herbert Maronek

William “Bill” Herbert Maronek, age 90, of Stevens Point, died Thursday afternoon, March 21. 2019 at Brookdale Assisted Living surrounded by his loving family. Bill was born on November 2, 1928 in Milwaukee, WI. He graduated from Lena High School in 1947, after which he attended St. Norbert College from 1948-1951 on a full basketball scholarship. From 1951-1955 he served in the United States Air Force, and he was stationed in Louisiana and Africa among other places.
In 1956 he began his career working at Hardware Mutual, and from there he moved to Sentry Insurance where he worked until his retirement in 1986 as the Director of Rehabilitation. In 1957 he married the love of his life, Patricia Kramer, and together they raised three daughters: Diane (Thomas) Vanden Hogen, Deb (Glenn) Vande Hei, and Sue Sanders. Bill enjoyed spending time with his 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He also was an avid fisherman, talented woodcarver, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time outdoors. Bill spent countless hours out on the water teaching his family and friends how to fish and how to tell fish stories. He also spent many hours carving birds, fish, and other whimsical creations, and he generously donated many of his beautiful carvings to various nonprofit organizations.
Bill had a generous heart and he gave of his time to help many people, including volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, various student groups, senior citizens at the Lincoln Center, and the Franciscan Coffee Shop among other organizations. Bill spent the last few years of his life living at Brookdale Assisted Living, and he and his family are extremely grateful for the loving care and attention he received. He was preceded in death by both of his parents and a brother and a sister. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his daughters, his grandchildren, his great grandchildren, his brother and sister, and other relatives. In lieu of flowers, a memorial in Bill’s name will be established at a later date.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 A.M Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at St. Stephens Catholic Church. Burial with full military rites will be in the Guardian Angel Cemetery. Family and friends may call from 9:30 A.M. Tuesday at St. Stephens Church until the time for mass. The Pisarski Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.pisarskifuneralhome.com