William Ivy, Jr.
April 7, 1949 -
January 27, 2022
William M. Ivy, Jr, 72, of Kenosha, passed away at Aurora Medical Center on Thursday, 1/27/22 after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was the husband of Patty (Shawler) Ivy. They shared 46 wonderful years of marriage together.
Born on 4/7/49 in Kenosha, WI, he was the son of the late William M. and Helen (Plaushines) Ivy, Sr.
He was educated in Kenosha County at Paris Consolidated and Central High Schools. He attended the University of Wisconsin- Parkside on a basketball scholarship and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Bill continued his education and received his Education and CPA certifications. He taught and coached for a few years at St. Joseph’s High School and then in White Lake, WI. He worked at Harris Calorific in Gainesville, GA as an Accountant, then at In-Sink-Erator in Racine, where he was the Chief Financial Officer until 2011 when he retired.
Bill spent many years coaching his son Ryan’s sports teams and teaching many kids how to water ski on Lake Lanier in Georgia. He was an avid outdoorsman and could regularly be found hunting, fishing, shooting, camping, traveling, taking pictures, and playing golf. One of his favorite pastimes was to visit Ryan for hunting in Colorado, or to meet him in various parts of the world in search of the next big game. He enjoyed traveling the world with Patty and friends, as well. Bill served as the Treasurer at Halter Wildlife for 10 years where he loved pheasant hunting, visiting with and making new friends, telling hunting stories, and spending time with his faithful hunting dog, Kirby. He really loved spending time with family and friends and loved sharing his whiskey and his stories.
Bill will always be remembered for his generous spirit, love of learning and teaching, love of the natural world, great stories, obsession with hunting and fishing, and his humor. He will also be remembered for being the most genuine husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend a person could ever ask for.
He will be deeply missed by his wife, Patty; his children, Ryan Ivy (Kathryn Brock) and Kelly Ivy (Matthew Boos); his five grandchildren, Hadley, William, Savannah, Wyatt, and Olivia; his brother, Dick (Sharon) Ivy; his sister, Bette (Benjamin, Sr.) Harbach; his mother-in-law, Irene Shawler; his two sisters-in-law and their husbands; many nieces and nephews; and his Black Lab, Kirby.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandparents and his father-in-law.
Bill donated his corneas to an organ donation company to hopefully help someone regain sight.
A huge, special thanks to Bill’s home health nurse, Arlan Owens, and to his oncologist, Dr. Michael Mullane, both of Aurora, for their extra special care for the last 9 months of Bill’s life. These two gentlemen were truly instrumental in so many ways and offered much inspiration and empathy when Bill needed it most.
Service Info
Funeral services honoring William’s life will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at the Piasecki Funeral Home. The service may be viewed via livestream on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. on the following link facebook.com/PiaseckiFuneralHome/live/. You do not need Facebook to watch.
A visitation for William will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Education Youth Development Outreach www.beyondcollege.net, which is an organization that Bill’s home health nurse, Arlan Owens, is involved with, and/or to the Des Plaines Wetlands Conservancy www.widwc.org, which is part of Bill’s beloved pheasant hunting club, Halter Wildlife.
Posted by:
Bill GenglerMy condolences to the Ivy family, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Bill was such an amazing person, he will be missed deeply. I only had the privilege of knowing Bill for about 6 years but it's without a doubt he had a huge impact on my life. He was the most generous, kind, and easy to be around person I could possibly think of. He always had a joke or story, or would be happy to talk the finer details of cartridge reloading or rifle building for hours on end. The first thought that comes to mind when I shoot an impressive group at the range is that I need to take a picture and text Bill, he will appreciate it! Bill always did more than his fair share of the work at whatever hunting camp he was at and never complained about the pain that he was surely having in his back or anywhere else. It was such a pleasure being able to spend that time with him on those trips. If there's hunting in the next life, those trophies better watch out!
Posted by:
Jodie RupertBill was our dear dear friend. He was a role model for Todd and Chad after they lost their dad to cancer. So appreciate the time, kindness and fun he showed my sons. We loved all the camping trips, baseball trips, barbecues and parties we shared with the Ivy’s. Every time I saw Bill he had a new joke!!! He left some big footprints and they will be always in our hearts. Our love to Pat, Ryan, Kelly and families. Robin and Todd Rupert, Hally and Chad Rupert and Jodie Rupert
Posted by:
Joe CaminitiMy thoughts and prayers to the entire Ivy family. I had the pleasure of working with Bill at InSinkErator for a number of years and enjoyed every minute of our time together. He was really “one of the good guys”, always approachable. I will always remember his wry smile and sense of humor. RIP my friend.
Posted by:
Doug and Grace JohnsonSo sorry to hear of Bill's passing. Doug worked with him. I went to school with him. CHS '67 He was such a nice person.....to everyone! Prayers to his family.
Posted by:
Jana SnyderMy prayers go out to the family of Bill. He was a warm & caring friend & was always a pleasure to talk to! It didn't matter to Bill if you wore a suit or worked on the factory floor with blue jeans....always said "hi" to everyone & treated them like family. He will be missed! God just gained another wonderful Angel!
Posted by:
Rob FriedelMy prayers are with Bill's family. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. Bill was a great friend for many years. He went above and beyond for me and others at Insinkerator. We had a few at Ron's as well as Well's Bros. We will all miss his genuine smile. A great class act. Always willing to help everyone.
Posted by:
Mike SerpeDear Patty, Just want you to know that I am very sorry for the loss of Bill in your life and I carry pleasant thoughts of you both in my heart. May his memory be a blessing. Mike
Posted by:
Mike SerpeDear Patty, Just want you to know that I am very sorry for the loss of Bill in your life and I carry pleasant thoughts of you both in my heart. May his memory be a blessing. Mike
Posted by:
Jim & Ginny BlazekWe wish to extend our deepest condolences to all the family. Bill was such a kind and gracious man at work and always a smile on his face and kind words to say. Even people that did not work directly with Bill knew him when he walked through the factory as he was just the kind who would say "Hello" to anyone who would cross his path. He was missed by many when he retired and we know now he will truly be missed. What a nice man and such a gentle soul. May he rest in peace .
Posted by:
Ed Van TineI had the good fortune to meet and play basketball with Bill at UWP. Since then, I would only see him occasionally, but our friendship stayed the same and we could always pick up right where we left off. Sincere sympathy to Patty and the family. Bill was a great guy who will be missed by all who knew him.
Posted by:
Susan ErmoianFullingtonI am so sorry for Bill’s passing. Even for the short time we had the pleasure to spend with him, we feel truly blessed. He was such a fine man. Our hearts and prayers go to to his fine family, he was one of a kind, I know y’all will miss him.
Posted by:
James C MagruderI had the privilege to work with Bill for roughly 17 years at InSinkErator. A class act. Sincere. Authentic. What you see is what you get. No surprises. A man you can trust. My sincere condolences to Patty and the family. We are sorry for your loss--and we feel the depth of your loss because he touched our lives as well. We were bless to know him.
Posted by:
Carol ( Anderson ) FlaningamReading the condolences confirms to me that what he was in high school, he carried with him all through life. He was sensitive, caring and a gentleman. I believe captain of the basketball team, I still have photos of him in an old scrap book with the game clock ticking down with 1 second left bringing us to victory. He was the prom King for the '67 Falconers. He will always be the king in our hearts. Prayers for his family. It's so hard to learn to live without the cornerstone.
Posted by:
Tim KochaBill was a top-notch businessman who was certainly key in building InSinkErator into the successful company it is today. But more importantly, he always kept the employees in mind in everything he did. He understood that an organization is not just about numbers, it is really about the people. A rare man indeed. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside him. My deepest sympathies to Bill's family and friends who will miss him and remember him always.
Posted by:
Carol AnsleyI am so saddened to hear of the passage of Bill. I have known him for a long time, as our boys played sports together and then followed each other into their hunting passion and followed also in their construction careers. They remain best friends to this day. Bill was like a 2nd Dad to my son and he and Pat were always special to us. Funny that both our girls are named Kelly & Kelli. Bill, you will be missed, but may your now rest in peace with our Lord. Pat, Ryan, & Kelly - if there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Sending much love and hugs to all of you. Carol
Posted by:
Bonnie KotlewskiBill was truly an angel on Earth!! He was a sweet, caring friend, husband, and dad!! He will be missed, but he will be a wonderful Guardian Angel to Patty, his family, and all kinds of animals . God Bless you, Bill!! ?????
Posted by:
Russ MoranBill and I were teammates twice. 3-time champs of Little League baseball, including an undefeated season. He was a great catcher. We were also starters on an undefeated conference champion UWK basketball team. He was a champion in every sense of the word. I still have a fond memory of a sleepover at Billys, with him teaching me to shoot a BB gun at a pond near his house. So sad to hear he has passed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Posted by:
Gloria K DeMarcoMy deepest sympathy to Pat and her family.
Posted by:
Sherrie Ellefson ReevesI only knew Bill in high school, but he was always a nice person. I’m so sorry to hear of his passing and I’m truly sorry that his family is having to go through the pain of having to live without him. My sincere condolences
Posted by:
Brian FrancourMy thoughts and prayers go out to the family. Bill was a true prince, he was a joy to work with, a joy to golf with and just an all around great guy who always had a great smile.
Posted by:
Patti FandrySending prayers and hugs to Bill’s family. He was always an easy man to talk to and he was so kind to his coworkers. He will be greatly missed.
