William George Klicka

William George Klicka was born August 12, 1943, to George and Stella Klicka. With two older sisters, Judy (Woodzicka) and Carole (Marchetti), he was the baby of the family and may have been indulged a bit as a result. Bill was born and raised in West Allis, Wisconsin, saving up his earnings from his paper route and grocery bagging jobs so he could buy his own car. A graduate of West Allis Central High School, Bill's natural entrepreneurship continued when he joined his father in the family typesetting business, Zahn Klicka Hill. He continued his education with various technical courses at MATC, and was a very early adopter of computers long before most of his generation. As co-owner of the business and self-declared "King of the Typesetters," Bill managed the transition from traditional typesetting to a digital process, becoming an expert at digital publishing, graphic design, and photography. He remained at ZKH until his retirement, when he continued consulting with local businesses and doing a little day-trading on the side.
An evening out at the bar with friends turned into a night to remember when Bill met Becky Kalass. Bill and Becky were married on October 5th, 1968; a marriage that lasted over 55 years until Becky's death in 2024. They bought their first house in Menomonee Falls, and raised their two kids, Andy and Liz (Willard), in that home with the yard big enough for a golf hole and a baseball game. A desire for a boat led to their purchase of a second home on Pewaukee Lake; the family lived in that cottage every summer - boating, swimming, fishing, and enjoying the sunsets. Bill mastered a new skill as well - wind-surfing!
Bill and Becky were dedicated grandparents to their four grandchildren, Chase and Sophie Klicka and Zach and Charlie Willard. Bill shined as a grandfather - his natural goofiness and playfulness was on full display when he was with his grandkids. From Geotrax to silly games on his iPad, he was ready to play. Bill recorded endless videos of the kids' antics, and created funny movies with the results, including graphics and sound effects. He was a skilled photographer and regularly used his computer skills to design t-shirts with humorous photoshopped images of the kids. There wasn't much Bill wouldn't do to get those kids to laugh.
Bill was a lifelong Packer fan, and regularly attended Marquette University basketball games. After he retired, he took up biking for exercise, often around his favorite Lannon Park, and went for long walks around the Milwaukee Zoo. He drove a Camaro almost every year of his life. Bill never met a dog he didn't like (and tried to spoil), including his own dogs and "grand-dogs."
Most people, when they think of Bill, think of his sense of humor. He never missed an opportunity to work in a joke, whether it was a classic "dad joke" or something a bit more risque. So while Bill will be missed by many - his kids and grandkids, son-in-law Scott Willard, daughter-in-law Stacey, sisters, nieces and nephews, neighbors and friends near and far - we want to remember all the fun and funny times. You are all invited to a casual celebration of his life on Saturday, November 29th between 3 - 5 PM at Champps Americana, 1240 S. Moorland Road, Brookfield, WI. We hope you will be able to join us to share some food, drinks, and stories.