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William Roetzheim Obituary

William Henry Roetzheim

William Henry Roetzheim, 85, of Plant City, passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2014. He was born in Chicago, IL, and was a U.S. Army Veteran with the 101st Airborne Division, serving our country during the Korean War. Bill Roetzheim was a highly successful gymnast, winning 9 National Championships in AAU and NCAA competition. He was a member of two USA Olympic Gymnastics Teams (1948, 1952). He was the first American to bring home gold in the Pan American Games in 1951. Roetzheim served as a superior judge at the Olympic Games in 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996. In 1951 while a sophomore at FSU, William Roetzheim single handedly outscored all gymnastics teams in the National Collegiate Gymnastic Championships, winning FSU the first national athletic team championship in any sport. Roetzheim was inducted into the Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1975 followed by his induction into the inaugural FSU Hall of Fame class of 1977. Roetzheim coached high school gymnastics for 14 years (1955-1968) winning three state championships. He served as Gymnastics coach and later Athletic Director at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1968 until his retirement in 1985. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Betty Jo; sons, Richard (Kathy), William Jr. (Marianne); daughter, Marlene Olson (John); sister, Helen Mehler; 10 grandchildren, Elizabeth, William III, Regina, Donnie, Eric, Mark, Kevin, Maggie, Kirsten, Alex; and one great granddaughter, Reyna. A funeral service will be held at Wells Memorial and Event Center on Saturday, March 1, 2014, at 2pm. The family will receive friends one hour prior. Burial will take place at Oaklawn Cemetery West. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hillsborough County Animal Services or another charity of choice. Condolences may be offered at www.wellsmemorial.com.

Published by Tallahassee Democrat on Mar. 1, 2014.
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At Chicago's Lindbloom H.S. in '47 & 48, Bill was by far the superior gymnast. Next was Bob Feldmeier and Bob Norwich. I know this because my father knew Bill. My dad was one of the "Bob's" aforementioned. All three earned college scholarships. My father read Williams obituary to me; asked me to get his H.S. yearbooks. We spent several minutes looking at photos, et cetera. My dad seemed choked up a bit as he pondered time that has passed with fond memories. He said: "Feldmeier was great but Roetzheim was sensational." Plus my dad said: "Bill was one of the nicest and warmest guys he has ever known.

P. Norwich

Other

December 19, 2022

I graduated from Proviso East High School in 1968. Bill Roetzheim was my coach. He instilled self discipline in me and drive to excel as a still ring performer.Thanks Chief.

john meyer

December 13, 2014

BJ I am so saddened by Bill's passing. I think of you both from time to time and all the wonderful times bob and I shared with both of you. Bill gave me my first job and always believed in his staff and made it fun along the way. He was truly a special man. Give my best to your family, seems like it had grown with beautiful grandchildren! Bob passed away last May out of the blue so. My heart aches for you. Sending love and hugs. If you ever come back his way I would love to catch up. God bless.

Barbara Leahy-Edwards

June 12, 2014

Greatest years of my life were the 4 years at Proviso. Chief took this 100 pound weakling and coached me to State champion in my senior year 1960. I remember going over to his house for some "Extra" coaching at times. Loved you also BJ.

Rich Lapham

April 5, 2014

Chief was a great high school coach. I graduated in 1968.I was on Proviso East's gymnastics team from 1966-68. I was a still rings specialist. Chief instilled discipline in all of us. Thanks to him I was a pretty fair college gymnast at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Il. Mr. Roetzheim will be missed.

john meyer

April 1, 2014

I knew the day would come when we would lose Chief. Still, it hit me hard when I read the words. So many thoughts instantly came to me. He was certainly one of the biggest influences in my life not only as a coach, but as a mentor and friend. As a College coach, he always promised us that if we graduated, he would get us our first job. After that, he said, it was up to us to succeed. It was probably easier to find jobs for the education majors, but my degree was in business. True to his word, he helped me get my first job at Porter, an athletic equipment manufacturer. He later supported me as I entered college coaching, and recommended me for a position on the USGF executive staff. Each of these were life changing experiences, and Bill was always available as my mentor and friend on this journey.
I was blessed to have had three great coaches...Tony Canino taught me how to work hard, Bruce Davis taught me gymnastics, and because of them, I was privileged to be coached by Chief, who taught me how to live with confidence, raise my personal expectations, and to take on tasks much larger than I thought possible. And this was all delivered with a sense of humor. The lessons I learned from Chief were never far from my thoughts. My eternal thanks go to Bill. All best wishes to Betty Jo, Billy, Marlene and Richie.

Ed Zimmer

March 6, 2014

It's amazing how many times I think or do something that I learned from "The Chief" ... The answer to the question WWCD? (What Would Chief Do?) still solves many problems ... I had the extraordinary experience of not only having Chief for my homeroom teacher (yes, he influenced me before I ever walked into the gym), coach in High School and College, but also coaching both of his sons … I can remember bringing MY sons to meet BJ at her school … Wow … What a couple … strength, integrity, wisdom, character, charm, humor, insight … Chief had a story or a maxim for every situation … One of my favorites is, “If you haven't spent your whole budget on the last day of the year, buy a case of socks, or whatever you need to go over budget -- otherwise they will lower your budget next year, because they think you didn't need that much.” Another is: “I don‘t want an anatomy of your hands (with 9 ‘rips') – I want a routine!” After that one, he “kicked me out of the gym” … I sat in the empty locker room crying, because I had just been kicked out of the gym, but years later, I realized what great wisdom he showed – He knew that the best thing for me was to leave, but he didn't say, “Poor baby, I bet those hands really hurt – why don't you take the rest of the day off” … His lessons helped me raise my kids, earn a doctorate, teach my students … and LIVE … Good-bye, Chief, you are already missed …………….

Proviso East, '67; UICC, '71

Dan Swetman

March 6, 2014

William Roetzheim had that rarest quality of all- always sought after, but often a mirage- Chief was a true leader.
He took a motley crew of misfits and lost souls, and made them better than they could ever be. We learned to believe in ourselves and what it meant to be a team. We were Marines.

Thanks, Chief (and BJ) for all you did for us.

Mike Gentile

March 6, 2014

My prayers go out to you BJ and the rest of the Roetzheim family. Bill gave me my first job as a college tennis coach at UIC, a career that lasted twenty-five years. With no experience, he trusted me with starting a program from scratch, an experience that opened the doors to many wonderful opportunities in the tennis industry that would never have occurred were it not for him. I will be eternally grateful to Bill for that opportunity and all that has come my way as a result of his decision.

Chuck Cunningham

March 5, 2014

BJ, I was so sorry to hear of "Chief's" passing. I have so many fun and special memories of him (and you) from our tour to the Middle East. I always felt this tour was a reward for all the training camps I went through. His smile and laugh will always be in my mind and I will never forget those 20 minute walks! My thoughts are with you and your family at this time.

Joyce Tanac Schroeder

March 4, 2014

The "Chief" What a great human being. I was on a state championship high school team at Proviso East led by Bill in 1966 and I went to the Middle East on a State Department Good Will tour with Chief and BJ -- an unforgettable experience. Bill always had a story or joke to keep the gym a fun place to be. I spent after school time in the gym for 4 years and it was one of the highlight periods of my life. He encouraged us all to aspire to great things. The first day my father came to the gym to visit a practice, Chief told my father that I would be a state champion. That comment was emblazoned on my psyche and it came true. Chief had a way of getting the most out of his guys. Our high school team was an unlikely combination of "climbers" and "greasers" but Chief pulled us together to win that state championship. We will all miss him. Love to you BJ!!!

Richard (Dick) Swetman

March 3, 2014

The CHIEF was a great influence in my life and I am saddened at his passing.My deepest condolences to the family.

Tom Ell

March 3, 2014

I just learned of Bill's death. This is a great loss for the gymnastics community. I was on his team at Proviso in 1963,64,65. I was no star, mind you, just an average gymnast, but those days were memorable for me due in no small part to "the Chief". Great competitor, great coach. Nothing more need be said.

Eric (Rick) Keipper

March 3, 2014

I was the assistant coach with Bill for six years at Provio East. After an unhappy engineering career Bill helped me get the job and my life was changed for the better. Bill was a master coach and a master role model for street wise working class boys. He brought out the best in his team and working with him was a pure joy for me. My deepest condolences to his familey.
Sandy Horn

Sandy Horn

March 2, 2014

My condolences to BJ and the entire Roetzheim family. I felt honored to live in the same community as this gymnastic legend. It was always a pleasure to run into Bill and BJ and exchange stories about mutual gymnastic friends and Olympic experiences. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
Tom Gompf, Plant City, Fl.

March 1, 2014

Eve n though Bill w as in my life for a short time his openmess in guiding one through tthe many knowleges of gymnastics made my experiences gratifying. I deeply feel thankful to the family for accepting me the way they did. My feelings of condolence.
Robert c. Lemke
Downers Grove.

March 1, 2014

First, my condolences to BJ, William, Richard, Marlene, and the rest of the Roetzheim family. I was fortunate to have had Bill “the Chief” Roetzheim as my coach for sophomore year in high school and all of college. Just being around such an accomplished person was a very positive thing in itself. How many people can say they have ever met an Olympian much less have one as their coach? We also need to remember Bill as an organization builder and in doing so he had a lasting impact on the lives of so many young men. My impression is that for quite a few of Bill's gymnasts on his high school team being on the gymnastics team is what kept then engaged in school and thus better students. I have to think being on one of the many top ranked teams that Bill coached must be one of the highlights in their lives. Bill's “Circle” teams were made up of a collection of athletes unrecruited by other programs and transfer students. Some might have called us misfits. I know for myself I would not go back and be on any other team. I cherish the memories of being on that team. However humble our origins, we gave some top-notch Division I teams a tough meet. While many universities have dropped gymnastics, UIC still has a team and the team that Bill brought to a higher level of excellence has continued through the work of Bill's coaching descendants, CJ Johnson and Charley Nelson. So, while impossible to measure, I would think that the sum of Bill' positive impacts on the lives of so many young men would overshadow his impressive list of individual accomplishments. For that, there are many of us who have much to be thankful for.

Roger Wojtkiewicz, Proviso East 1970, UICC 1974

March 1, 2014

"My condolences to the entire family of Mr. Roetzheim" Mr Roetzheim coached me at Proviso East 1959-1963 He was a wonderful coach and mentor. He will be missed.
Bob Nelson (Huntley IL)

March 1, 2014

My collegiate gymnastic team would compete against Bill's U. of Ill Chicago Circle team. He would bring his team all the way from Chicago to Miami. Several of my gymnasts finished their college degrees by transferring to UICC. Bill was a mentor to me in coaching and in judging. Bill would often tell some of the most hilarious stories about himself and the sport of gymnastics. I will miss him but always appreciate the impact that he made on the sport of gymnastics.

February 28, 2014

I was always very proud to be one of Roetzy's Rats at Proviso East High School.
He did more than make men out boys. He made us Warriors. He was harder than the Drill Sargent from Full Metal Jacket. He never said a good word to me till my sophomore year when I qualified for the Illinois State Meet. When the scores came in he put his arm around me and said “Samata I am proud of you.” That meant everything coming from him.
The most memorable moment was when he was working with the High Bar men, Dan Reise was not doing the Jam Eagle right, Chief got very angry at him and told him to get off the bar. With his clothes and shoes on, Roetzheim jumped up on the High Bar started doing Giants and threw the best Jam Eagle anybody ever saw, jumped off and said “ Damn it that's how you do it.” The whole gym went quiet and we were all in total amazement, till that point we had never seen him even do one trick. He was 40 years old at that time.
Chief was one of the greatest most respected men I have ever met.
He inspired and affected so many in such positive ways.
There will never be another like him.

Krist Samata

February 28, 2014

I would like to extend my condolences to the Roetzheim family. Mrs. Roetzheim was my 4th grade teacher in Maywood, IL. I used to mow their lawn & knew Bill as well. It's difficult to say goodby to someone who has made such a contribution to the world.

Steve Marney

February 28, 2014

I want to extend to the entire Roetzheim family my sympathy, thoughts, and prayers at hearing of this loss. I remember Bill whom we called "Chief" from the years 1971-1974 as I was a member of the UIC gymnastics team with a wonderful group of young men. He was a wonderful coach and a wonderful human being with great senses of humor, perspective, passion for the sport, and his team. I thoroughly enjoyed knowing him and treasure his memory and the meaningful role he played in making me the person I am today.

Douglas Anderson

February 28, 2014

My condolence to BJ and Bills family. I was fortunate to have been able to judge his teams at both Proviso East and U of I Circle. He had a great sense of humor sharing some of the experiences he had with his gymnasts. He was one of the leaders in Illinois High School gymnastics that popularized the sport. He together with his coach Henry Schmidl at Lindblom High School and Al Bergmann from Senn are the face of High School Gymnastics in the State of Illinois. He will truly be missed.

Don Ohannes

February 28, 2014

I was a gymnast at Glenbard West from 64-68 and at Il.St.U. 68-72. Bill's influence was everywhere.I coached at Rolling Meadows for 33 years and his passion made it great for many of us Illinoians to coach our passion. You will be missed. Al Galatte

February 28, 2014

I wasn't around during your time of tumbling, but what I do know is that you've paved the was for many great athletes. I thank you for your hard work and serving this country in more than one way. It must have been a great honor to have met someone like yourself. May you rest in peace and may your legacy continue. Thank you!

S.M. Bettis

Sandra Bettis

February 28, 2014

Also the large European GYMfamily mourns Bill as a large and enthusiastic sportsman, gymnast and functionary who has done a great deal for the worldwide distribution of our sport.
Eckhard Herholz,
Manging Director of the European Gymnastics Service
- GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL

HERHOLZ Eckhard

February 28, 2014

When I first started coaching I asked Bill what rules he used for his boys team. He told me one of his rules cost his team a state title. His top all-around man was caught smoking after regionals so he had to kick the gymnast off the team the week of state meet. He said it was so unfair for the rest of the team who worked four years for a chance to win state that he now has only one rule. That rule is "Don't use the chalk box for an ash tray!"
He said now he deals with each infraction individually.
Bill was always willing to help any coach or gymnast any way he could.
He was a giant in the sport of gymnastics, a willing mentor and a great friend. He will be missed tremendously by all who had the good fortune to have known him.

Ken Scorza

February 27, 2014

Bill was always just Bill but that was all he had to be. No pretense but just humbly allowed his accomplishments to be his testimony. Friend, teammate, and someone I learned so much from in gymnastics, life and how to select a wife and raise a family. I'll miss him so much.

Jim Fadigan

February 27, 2014

When I first started coaching I asked Bill what rules he used for him team. He told me about a rule which cost his team a state title. One of his all-around men was caught smoking after regionals and was kicked off the team.
It was against his team rules and so he had to enforce the rule. Bill said it was so unfair to the rest of the team he decided to have only one rule from that point on. The one rule was
“Don't use the chalk box for an ash tray!” From that point on he disciplined each situation individually!
Bill was a great mentor and was always willing to help any coach or gymnast.
He was a giant in the sport of gymnastics and will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have known him!!

Ken Scorza

February 27, 2014

Bill Roetzheim was an accomplished gymnast, great coach, highly qualified gymnastics official, two time Olympian, first (1951) Pan American Games All-around, a wonderful Athletic Director, and a loving husband. Most importantly, he is one of the most personable, down to earth individuals I have ever met. He has told me some of the most informative and comical stories ever told in the world of athletics. He mentored me without knowing he was doing so. I will miss him greatly. Bruce Davis President World Acrobatics Society

February 27, 2014

I have the opportunity to work with Mr. Roetzheim as a Gymnastics Judge in several events...he was a fantastic friend as well as a mentor. I remember and admire him for his integrity and knowledge. He will be missed in the gymnastics community. My deepest sympathies to Bill's family.

Luis Martinez-Lopez

February 27, 2014

Mr. Roetzheim was the very highly regarded athletic director at UIC when I was a gymnast at the school from 1980-1984. A huge loss to his family and the entire gymnastics community.

Pam Larson Flores

February 27, 2014

The gymnastics community lost a champion and leader. His accomplishments in the sport and in life were endless. My fondest personal memories were tumbling in his backyard in Maywood. Great teacher, leader and person. He will be missed by everyone.

Cindy Kwiek Morano

February 27, 2014

Bill was always the most pleasant person to be around. BJ his wonderful wife was his right arm and always put his needs first. I admire them both so much and the absolutely wonderful stories Bill would tell, what a wonderful life! I will never forget Bill's smile. My deepest sympathies to Bill's family.

Francie Molden-Hudson

February 27, 2014

Mr. Bill was a great man who I admired very much. His work with the Olympic committee will always be rememered. He will be missed by everyone. Now BJ must endure; my thoughts and prayers are with her.

Charles W. Wood

charles wood

February 26, 2014

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Memorial Events
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Mar

1

Visitation

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Wells Memorial and Event Center

1903 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, FL 33563

Mar

1

Funeral service

2:00 p.m.

Wells Memorial and Event Center

1903 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, FL 33563

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Wells Memorial and Event Center

1903 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, FL 33563

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