William P. "Bill" Angrick II

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of William P. "Bill" Angrick II on December 11, 2025, at the age of 80. Surrounded by family, friends, his dog and nature, Bill departed this world peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, integrity, and compassion.

Bill was born on September 29, 1945, in the Panama Canal Zone where his father, William P. Angrick, served as part of the Army Corps of Engineers for the duration of the Second World War and his mother, Barbara G. Angrick, worked as a civilian secretary with the U.S. Navy. This became the source of Bill's life-long passion for the history, art and culture of Panama and Latin America.

The family relocated to Michigan City, Indiana and as a child Bill grew up surrounded by grandparents, aunts and uncles fostering a love of his German heritage, food and the outdoors, including the nearby sandy dunes and water of Lake Michigan. His later formative years were spent in LaPorte, Indiana where he graduated from LaPorte High School, hosted a radio show, served as class president and was a state delegate in the national American Legion Boys State organization, sparking an interest in the structure and function of government. Bill loved camping and environmental studies, memorizing thousands of plant and animal species, all while becoming an Eagle Scout and exploring the country via Boy Scouts events and his annual family summer vacations.

Bill graduated from Purdue University and earned bachelors and masters degrees in political science. While a student there he met and married Suzanne Rousseau and went on to have two children, William P. Angrick, III (1967) and Michael B. Angrick (1968). In 1980, Bill re-married Maryjo Welch and added another son, Merle Welch.

Bill was a nurturing and devoted father and grandfather who passed on his love of nature, history, travel, intellectual pursuits and community service to his family. He was a little league coach, Scoutmaster, and mentor who organized many memorable family adventures, including camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota, biking across Iowa in RAGRAI, houseboating down the Mississippi River and touring historical sites across the US. He took great pride in supporting his children and grandchildren during their scholastic events at Roosevelt High School, Drake University and the University of Notre Dame.

In 1973, Bill started his career in academia as a professor on the Political Science and Public Administration faculty of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. His primary teaching and research areas were state and local government. In 1978, Bill was appointed by the Legislative Council of the Iowa General Assembly to serve as Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman for the State of Iowa. In this role, Bill served as an independent channel for Iowans to resolve complaints against state government agencies, which allowed him to combine his passion for community service and his intellectual gifts and teaching skills in the field of political science. While working to expose and fix waste, fraud, and abuse in the machinery of government, he took particular interest in advocating for the rights of the mentally ill and disabled to ensure a voice for those who can't advocate for themselves.

Bill served an unprecedented thirty-two years in this role until his retirement on June 24, 2010. Bill contemporaneously served as president of the US Ombudsman Association from 1981 to 1983 and as president of the International Ombudsman Association (IOI) from 2004 until 2009 to advocate for the global need for ombudsman roles, to promote the growth of democracy through transparent, fair and service-oriented government administration to citizens. In this role, Bill met with heads of state across the globe ranging from Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, to communist party leaders in China and over thirty other countries. In recognition of his service, the IOI named Bill an Honorary Life Member and he received numerous awards from member countries for his contributions.

In May 2010, the U.S. Senate introduced a bill sponsored by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley honoring Bill's service to the state of Iowa and promotion of effective democratic government around the world.

During his retirement, Bill continued his hobbies as an avid collector of art, sculpture and manuscripts, traveling and operating an online forum, LaPorte High School alumnus.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, sister, Barbara Genualdi, and his wife of thirty-five years, Mary Jo Welch. Bill is survived by his sons, Bill (Stephanie), Mike (Krista) and Merle Welch; grandchildren, Nicholas Angrick, William A. Angrick, Matthew Angrick, Grace Welch and Hannah Welch, nephew Marc Genualdi and niece Helen Genualdi.

Please join us in our prayers remembering a remarkable man whose presence enriched our lives.