William Welke

William (Bill) Welke, 79, formerly of Kalamazoo, passed away with family by his side on Friday, November 16, 2012. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 1, at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park St., Kalamazoo. Bill's ashes will be buried in Augusta, WI, at a later date. Bill was born May 16, 1933, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the son of Reinhardt R. and Leone Swartz Welke. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian Welke, and his sister, Carol Cardinal. He is survived by twin daughters, Ann (Kevin) Nelson, and Mary (Jim) Coon, as well as by his only grandchild and joy of his life, Kennedy Grace. While teaching math in Texas during the Korean War, Bill took accounting classes by correspondence through the University of Wisconsin where he later completed a Ph.D. in the same area. He taught at the University of Washington in Seattle before accepting a faculty position at Western Michigan University, where he taught for over thirty years. During his time at WMU, he was active in Beta Alpha Psi, the national accounting fraternity. Bill not only loved to teach, but loved to learn. He was an avid reader, a world traveler, a strong tenor, and a not-half-bad fisherman. Bill was also an excellent cook who enjoyed sharing recipes with others and sharing the kitchen with his wife until her death in 1989. Following his wife's death, Bill devoted more and more of his time to traveling with friends and with his daughters, creating wonderful memories that will carry them through the difficult days to come. In 2011, Bill was blessed by the birth of his only grandchild, Kennedy, with whom he developed an immediate bond. She was the reason he moved from Kalamazoo, his home of 50 years, to Shawnee, KS. He was humbled by Kennedy's love of him and found great joy in his final months by being near her. Bill will be missed deeply as a father, grandfather, and friend, but will be remembered with happiness and gratitude. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to:
The American Heart Association: donate.americanheart.org
First United Methodist Church, Music Department
212 S. Park Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007
American Indian College Fund: www.collegefund.org/content/donate