William J. Kissinger

Kissinger, William J. Age 84, of Wilmette, IL, died Thursday, April 21, 2011. Husband of Mary Kincaid. Beloved father of Mary Kay (Tom) Warden; John (Anne Kerwin); Meg (Larry Boynton); Patty (Michael Perlstein); Bill Jr. (Dana) and Molly (Ken Bresnihan). Dear brother of Patsy Dorward and Violet Streeter. Proud grandfather of 13, Ryan, Connor and Devin Warden; Charley and Molly Boynton; Max, Eli and Jackie Perlstein; Cayleigh and Brennan Kissinger and Leo, Mary Rose and Patrick Kissinger. Also survived by loving nieces and nephews, step-children, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his adored wife of 42 years, Jean (Gutenkunst) Kiss-inger; their daughter, Nancy; son, Dan; his brother, John M. Kissinger; and his parents, Matthew and Alice (Lynch) Kissinger. Bill was born in Shorewood and attended St. Robert Catholic School and Shorewood High School, where he played football and baseball and acted in plays. He enlisted in the Navy two weeks after his high school graduation in 1944. He trained as a pilot and graduated from Marquette University in 1949 and Marquette University Law School in 1953. Bill was an award-winning pharmaceutical advertising salesman and medical journal publisher. He co-founded the publication Physicians Management and served as general sales manager for JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Later in life, he took up a career in law and served as a mediator until his health began to fail last year. He coached many of his kids' basketball and baseball teams and wore his hands raw tying all of his kids' ski boots on family trips to Land O' Lakes and Colorado. He was a regular reader at Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in Wilmette, IL, his family parish for more than 40 years. He loved jazz, golf, arguing current events and the sacraments of the Catholic Church (not in that order). He was a charmer and a scamp with a twinkle in his eyes who taught us that it's OK to be disappointed, but not discouraged. Memorials are suggested to New Foundation Center, 444 W. Frontage Rd., Northfield, IL 60093. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, April 30, at Northwestern University's Sheil Chapel, 2110 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL, with a visitation at the church an hour before the Mass. A burial will be held at 11 AM on Monday, May 2, at Holy Cross Cemetery, 7301 W. Nash St., Milwaukee.