William Wishnick

William Wishnick was 85 years
old when he peacefully passed
from our presence on May 29,
2010. Bill was a business man,
philanthropist, USA Off-Shore
Powerboat Champion in 1970,
and World Off-Shore Power
Boat Champion in 1971, race
car driver, motorcyclist, adventurer,
lover of humanity, good
humor, kindness, grace, honor,
integrity and hard work.
William Wishnick, retired CEO
and Chairman of the Board of
Witco Corp., was born inNew
York City in 1924. After overseas
duty in the United States
Army, he entered the University
of Texas and graduated in 1949
with a B.BA. He joined Witco
that year in the manufacturing
department of the company's
Pioneer products plant at
Lawrenceville, Illinois.
A year later, Mr. Wishnick was transferred to Perth Amboy,
New Jersey, and placed in charge of Pioneer's manufacturing
operations. In 1951, he was elected vice president and treasurer
of the company, executive vice president in 1955, vice chairman
of the board in 1960, chairman of the board on January 1,
1964, president on October 28, 1971, and CEO and Chairman
of the Board in 1975. He held those positions until his retirement
December 1991; 70 years after his father had begun the
company as Wishnick-Tumpeer Chemical Company.
Wishnick was one of the most dynamic and charismatic CEO's
of his generation. He was highly respected in the business
world as a tough executive with a special feeling for his staff and
prided himself with the fact that he never in the history of the
company had a strike by the employees. He grew up with
Witco, knew everything about it and could reach decisions very
quickly. When he made a decision, he wanted action and was
not interested in elaborate staff procedures. Witco was transformed
from a $20M chemical reseller in 1954 into a $123
million diversified manufacturer 10 years later. Bill, the company's
second chairman, launched a series of acquisitions and
internal expansions that brought sales to $1.5 billion in 1984.
He served on the Board of the Chemical Manufacturers
Association; member of the American Chemical Society; New
York Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association; the Salesman's
Association of the American Chemical Industry; and the
American Petroleum Institute; Member of the Board of
Trustees of The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City,
Sponsor and Trustee of The Mount Sinai School of Medicine;
Fellow and Honorary Doctor of Engineering of Polytechnic,
Trustee of Carnegie Mellon, and President of The Robert I
Wishnick Foundation.
BILL WISHNICK
T H E M A N , T H E M Y T H , T H E L E G E N D
In 1965 on an impulse, Bill
turned his energy toward
Ocean Power Boat racing.
He was in Florida for New
Year's, read about a boat
race and decided to take a
look. He bought the boat
that won the race and began
racing. Five years later, he
captured the American
Power Boat Association
Championship, followed by
the World Championship
in 1971. He raced all over
the world, from Europe to
the Caribbean and in South
America.
Amongst his other interests
of motorcycle riding, car
racing, he loved helping
others to achieve their
dreams. Besides putting his
own children through
college, he put the two
daughters of friends Mabel & John Lam and the son of Joe
Maffie through college as well.
Bill was an extremely charitable person and served on many
boards. He was proudest of the over 40 years he served as
Trustee of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and was
very active for many years in sponsoring and fund raising
for Jewish causes and for the State of Israel, as well as
American Friends of the Hebrew University where his
mother Freda Wishnick had a dormitory built. Many years
later when her great-grandson Max Leeds joined the Israeli
Army, he got to sleep in the Freda Wishnick Building.
This barely begins to describe the marvelous man that Bill
Wishnick was, nor does it begin to describe the length of
his passions and his loves. His family meant everything to
him. It is with love that he departed his wife, Lisa Fluet
Wishnick, his precious daughters Ami Jo Gibson, Gina
Grossman and Kendall Wishnick Adams; he leaves two sonin-
laws Ron Gibson and Matt Adams. He adored and
enjoyed the company of his grandchildren Emmett and
Oscar Adams, Jenna and Max Leeds, Zack and Zoey
Grossman and many, many friends. His brother John
Wishnick and his wife Phyllis and seven nieces and nephews
survive him. Bill joins the company of his dearly departed
daughter Elizabeth, his parents Robert I. Wishnick and
Freda (Frankel) Wishnick and, most recently, his beloved
sister Betty Freeman of Los Angeles.
Rest in peace dearest husband, father, grandfather,
brother, uncle, friend and greatest mentor and
supporter of so, so many…you will be sorely missed.