William Lawrence Eisenreich

William L. Eisenreich
August 21, 1951 - July 14, 2025

William ( Bill ) Eisenreich, of Greenport, NY, died Monday, July 14, 2025, peacefully at home, with his wife Chris by his side, after a 5 1/2 month battle with cancer . He was 73.

Bill was born on August 21, 1951, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He graduated from Premontre High School in 1969, and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a degree in Economics, in 1974. It was at the UW that he began his lifelong friendships with his dorm mates in Fayville House. It was also at UW-Madison where Bill met the love of his life, Chris, a nursing student there, at a party of one of her fellow nursing students. They were married at Sacred Hearts Catholic Church in Sun Prairie on August 30, 1975. They were fortunate to enjoy their lives together for more than 52 years.

Bill started his career with the H.C.Prange Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as a management trainee. progressing to an assistant buyer in Green Bay. In 1981, he transitioned to a new career with Fort Howard Paper Company, as a waste paper buyer - a " fiber procurement specialist". He bought waste paper by the thousands of tons to provide Fort Howard with the raw material need to manufacture recycled paper products in their mills, thus saving millions of trees from being cut down. He further advanced his career when he accepted a promotion and transfer to Long Island, New York in 1987, where he worked as a paper trader for Harmon Associates, a newly- acquired subsidiary of Fort Howard and later Georgia Pacific Corporation. Being an extrovert, Bill enjoyed the "road salesman" life, meeting clients in their recycling companies and developing new accounts all over the Northeastern US and Canada. Moving to New York was one of the most difficult decisions that Bill ever made, leaving his life behind him in Wisconsin, but the song his co-workers played at his send-off party in Green Bay said it all , as Frank Sinatra sang " If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere; it's up to you, New York, New York !! It became Bill's and Chris' unofficial theme song for the rest of their lives, and indeed, with a lot of work and a lot of perseverence, he and Chris made it !! Bill and Chris spent the next several years enjoying the finest in New York: the Atlantic beaches, New York City concerts and Broadway plays, restaurants, and yearly trips into the City for Christmas. Bill loved to share these adventures and play tour guide with family and friends when they visited from Wisconsin.

Bill enjoyed nature and outdoor recreation. In his early years, he enjoyed Boy Scouts , annual camping trips with his family , duck hunting in the Green Bay marshes. As years went on, he also enjoyed ice fishing, cross country skiing , sailing, canoeing, and playing recreational hockey. He was also a great Green Bay Packer fan, having grown up in Green Bay during the Lombardi era. He laughingly recalls being at the Ice Bowl, working for Proski's Concessions cooking hot dogs, until they ran out in the 3rd quarter, when he warmed up his feet in the hot dog oven and then went out into the stands to witness history. Bill cherished his stock certificate of 100 shares of Packer stock, given to him by his father.

After moving to New York, Bill and Chris joined a bicycling club, where they participated in many local club rides as well as traveled to many out-of-state rallies with new friends who became like extended family. They went on cross-country skiing trips to the Adirondaks and Vermont. They traveled to Tangelwood in the Berkshires for outdoor summer concerts. In later years, he and Chris built a summer home on the water in Greenport , on the eastern end of Long Island, where they enjoyed kayaking right out their back door, and boating in the Peconic Bay. They eventually turned the cottage into a year-round home, and made it their retirement home in 2011. They spent many an afternoon sitting on their back porch, observing egrets, osprey diving for fish, and peace and quiet.

Bill retired from his waste paper career in 2011, after 31 years. In his retirement years, Bill continued his love of travel , this time with Chris in tow. Now , with much more time at their disposal, he and Chris traveled more frequently, especially on road trips; in fact, if there was not a road trip planned every three months, Bill would develop what he called "itchy foot", cured only by putting his foot on the gas pedal for an extended time. They visited historical sites in Gettysburg and Washington DC, grand vistas in the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Oregon and the Blue Ridge Mountains. And they always returned to Wisconsin every year to visit as many family and friends as they could. The quiet environmentalist that he was, Bill turned from saving trees to saving clean water. He became a citizen oyster grower through Cornell Cooperative Extension, right in his own backyard. Bill loved sitting on his back porch with Chris or with friends, on a beautiful afternoon or evening, slurping fresh oysters accompanied by a twist of lemon and a glass of white wine, while he was listening to Andrea Bocelli's Love in Portofino.

At age 65, Bill learned to play alto saxophone, something he had always wanted to do since his teenage years. He joined the Greenport Community Band, playing several Friday nights each summer for 8 years, with Chris in the audience as "his favorite groupie". Bill also became a true philanthropist. Bill always joked that he did not want to be the richest man in the cemetary. He joined the local Rotary Club, and participated in the comraderie of his fellow Rotarians in weekly meetings, and fundraisers, as well as becoming involved with local , national, and international charitible personal donations with the club or on his own; donating to help restore the local childrens train, eradicating Polio worldwide, and building clean water wells for villagers through Sustainable Cambodia. His greatest involvement , however, was with Timothy Hill Ranch, a foster ranch for troubled youth , where residents - children and young adults - can feel safe and loved , and of course, learn to love and to ride horses ! Kids and young adults are given a second chance at life with the opportunity to turn their lives around thru family-like living ,education, and vocational training , before heading out into the world again as happy and productive young adults. Bill was determined to share his family inheritance with children who needed it more than he did. Bill started the Financial Literacy program, where young adult residents learn the basic financial knowledge needed to make it in our society that was never taught to them in their youth. He started this program in honor of his father, a certified public accountant, and his mother, a social worker and then stay- at- home mom, in gratutude for giving him great advantages and lessons in life that he hopes in turn will be afforded those children and young adults who live at the Ranch.

Bill is survived by his wife, Chris; sisters Helen Englebert and Kay Eisenreich, and brothers Jim (Jackie ) Eisenreich and John Eisenreich. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Gilliss. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law Bill ( Mary ) Veith, Larry (Peggy ) Veith, Ted (Cheri ) Veith, and Tony Veith, and sisters-in-law Laura ( Lenny ) Peaslee, and Louise Wolf; plus many nieces and nephews, and many great nieces and great nephews, whom he loved to visit with or play with, depending upon their ages ! He was known as "Uncle Wilbur " to many of them.

Chris wishes to thank the nurses and social workers of East End Hospice, for their diligence and care in guiding both Bill and Chris during Bill's final days; and Leandro, our home health care aide, who showed extraordinary compassion and care to Bill and unwaivering support to Chris in Bill's final days at home.

There will be no formal services.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to : Timothy Hill Ranch, Riverhead, NY; or East End Hospice, Westhampton Beach, NY.