William Peter ("Peter") Milbratz

William Peter ("Peter") Milbratz, Jr., age 94, of Wilmette, Illinois, passed away on March 7, 2026.

Peter was born on March 2, 1932, in St. Louis, Illinois, the son of William Peter Milbratz and Irma Johanna Milbratz (Rather). He graduated from Bridgeton (NJ) High School in 1949 and went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. While at Illinois, he was a member of the Alpha Rho Chi Architecture Fraternity and Army ROTC, and he enthusiastically expressed his school spirit as a devoted participant in the Block I football student cheering section. He earned his bachelor's degree in architecture in 1954.

Following graduation, Peter was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served with the newly formed Mediterranean Division of the Corps of Engineers and was stationed in Germany and Morocco before being honorably discharged in 1957.

On January 19, 1963, Peter married Eleanor Johnsen in Rockford, Illinois, with the bride's father, Olaf Magnus Johnsen, officiating. Having been awarded a traveling fellowship to study European architecture, Peter and Eleanor spent much of their first year together abroad—an experience that deeply influenced both his professional work and personal life.

Peter enjoyed a long and fulfilling career as an architect, working at Owens-Illinois in Toledo, Ohio; Orput and Associates in Rockford and Skokie, Illinois; Coder Taylor Associates in Kenilworth, Illinois; and Eugene Holland and Associates in Schaumburg, Illinois. During the 1960s and 1970s, his work focused primarily on the design of high schools throughout the Chicago area.

A longtime member of Winnetka Covenant Church, Peter sang in the choir for more than fifty years. He will be fondly remembered for his impeccably neat architectural handwriting, his beautiful watercolor paintings, his even-keeled and easygoing nature, and his wide-ranging curiosity about nearly everything. Many will also smile when recalling his unmistakable plaid pants of the 1970s and 1980s.

Peter is survived by his children, William Milbratz (Erika), Julie Bender (Edwin), and son-in-law Jim Dahl; his grandchildren, Christopher, Griffin, and Katherine Dahl; Hannah, Michael, and Caroline Bender; and Sarah, Esther, and Eleanor Milbratz.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eleanor; his daughter, Kristen Dahl; and his parents, William and Irma Milbratz.

On June 6, 2026, a visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 10:30 a.m., at Winnetka Covenant Church, 1200 Hibbard Road, Wilmette, IL 60091.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Peter's name can be made to Winnetka Covenant Church.