William Robert Rathke

1942 - 2025

William Robert Rathke

October 19, 1942 - February 23, 2025

Lacey, Washington - William Robert Rathke, 83, of Lacey, Washington, died on Sunday, February 23, 2025. He is survived by his sons Matheau (and wife Tracy), Michael (and wife Becky), daughter Amy, and his grandchildren Taylor, Emma, Matty, and Z, and his great-granddaughter, Ingrid. A service will be held in his honor on May 24, 2025.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1942, Bill moved to Seattle with his parents Robert and Mildred, and his sister Elizabeth, as a young adult. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1960 and met the love of his life, Mary, while working at a Seattle diner not long after. They soon married and started their family, living in several Seattle neighborhoods over the years before moving to Allyn in 1989. Bill received his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University in 1995. He had several careers throughout his life, eventually retiring from Kitsap Transit after years as a driver, dispatcher, and supervisor. He and Mary spent their retirement in Lacey, occasionally pursuing adventures to drive buses in Denali National Park and at the Vancouver Olympics.

Bill had an outgoing personality and a quick wit, and could carry on a conversation with just about anyone. He loved reading detective fiction, listening to jazz, spending time with canine companions, and watching classic films and Masterpiece Theatre. According to Bill, the best dessert on the planet was lemon pie. When he disagreed with injustices in the world, he was known to respond with a letter to the editor or some creative act of resistance. He was an ardent supporter of public radio and a vocal critic of the Trump administration.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary, his son, Nick, his sister, and his parents.