William A. Van Ess

Van Ess, William A.

William A. Van Ess (Mr V) , age 84, was born in Green Bay, WI on July 10, 1932 to Alphonse & Mary Van Ess in their home on Kellogg Street. After a decades long fight with numerous health issues, they finally won and Bill found peace and joined Mom in heaven on Tuesday, October 4, 2016.

Bill graduated from Green Bay West High School in 1951. After serving in the United States Navy during the Korean War aboard the USS John R. Pierce from 1952-1954, Bill returned to Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin River Falls, which is where he met Mom. Bill was married to Nancy Yira on November 5, 1955.

Bill owned and operated the family business, Van Ess Concrete Block, Inc. that was started in 1908 by his grandfather, with his cousin David Van Ess until they sold the business in 1994.

He enjoyed splitting his time between his home in Green Bay and at his cottage on White Potato Lake - his second home. It is up there where he met his loving best friend and 24 hour protector Karen Payette. Bill was immediately accepted into Karen's family and loved by her children and grandchildren as well.

Bill is survived by his son Tom and Tom's daughter Billie, by his son Billy and Billy's daughters Rachael and Abby, and by his life partner Karen Payette and her children Bob (Barb) Payette, Bonnie Behnke (Tom), Barbie (Bryan) Salesky, Ron Payette (Robin) and all of Karen's grandchildren who loved dad as their own grandpa: Angelique (Kevin), Kara (Dan), Roberta, Mariah, Teri, Brett, Tyler, Nathan, Tabby, Filesha, Evelena, Austin, Lea and Evan, and Karen's great-grandchildren Hailey, Kolt, Natalie and Rylee. Bill is also survived by Billie's mother Chris Canadeo, by Rachael and Abby's mother Carol Baran, by his son-in-law Gene Malcore and Gene's children Gene and Kim and their children, and by his sisters Mary Lou (Jim) Burns and Carol (Bill) Jensen.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife Nancy in 2002, his daughter Sandy Malcore in 2015, his parents Alphonse and Mary Van Ess and by his sister and her husband Phyllis and Donald "Fling" Smits. He will also be reunited with his little furry friend Maxx who was his constant companion for 13 years after Mom died. He used to say "God got Mom, and I got the dog."

The world lost a very special man who was loved by all. He was soft spoken and usually had a funny story or joke to share. He loved to live life and have fun, still going 4-wheeling at age 84 with his much younger neighbors at the lake! He was a lifelong member of the Green Bay YMCA Y's Men's Club and had made a lifetime of friends and fond memories at YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya.

Visitation services will be held at RYAN FUNERAL HOME, 305 N. Tenth Street, De Pere, WI on Friday, October 7th from 4:00PM until 8:00PM. Funeral Mass to be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, 2771 Oakwood Drive, Green Bay, WI on Saturday, October 8th at 10:30AM with visitation after 9:30AM.

A special thank you to all of the wonderful doctors and nurses at St. Vincent Hospital ICU for their attention and care and to all of our friends for their outpouring of thoughts and prayers.

In Lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established for Green Bay YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya.