William Keefer

WILLIAM KEEFER, 83 ROCKTON - William Keefer, 83, industrialist and visionary business and community leader, passed away Monday, April 7, in Rockton. The retired chair and CEO of Warner Electric Brake and Clutch Co. had served the Illinois-Wisconsin stateline area in numerous business and civic capacities. Born in Chicago, April 1, 1925, he served in World War II as a member of the U.S. Army. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1950 and went on to do graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a finance executive with U.S. Steel Corp. before joining the Chicago consulting firm of A.T. Kearney Co. In 1957, he began a three-decade affiliation with Warner Electric, a world leader in the manufacture of motion control devices. From controller, he rose to vice president and president. In 1984, he was named CEO and chairman. Bill Keefer served his community in many critical roles, including leadership of the Stateline United Givers, (now the Stateline United Way) based in Beloit, Wis., and with his wife Gayle, founding membership in the Stateline Community Foundation. With former Beloit College President Miller Upton, he organized the Upton-Keefer Committee in the late 1960s to stimulate economic development and community improvement in the region. This work led to the formation of the Greater Beloit Economic Development Corp. In 1989, he was one of the first business leaders to be inducted into the Business Hall of Fame of Junior Achievement of Rock River Inc. In 1986, the Keefers established the Gayle and William Keefer Professorship in the Humanities at Beloit College, the first fully endowed chair at the liberal arts college where Mr. Keefer had once taught economics. The same year, Mr. Keefer was named chair of the board of trustees at the college. In 1994, Mr. Keefer was honored with an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree by Beloit College, and in 2007, the couple was presented the "Bridge to the Future" award by the Stateline Community Foundation. Bill Keefer married Gayle Kamen in 1951. He is survived by his wife and children, Kirsten and Keith; and his wife, Marcia; and two grandchildren, Jillian and Derek. Memorial service at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26, in Eaton Chapel at Beloit College. Gifts in memory of Bill Keefer can be made to Beloit Regional Hospice, the Stateline Community Foundation or Beloit College.