William Bergstrom
2023-08-29 2023-08-29Wiilliam Stanley ("Bill") Bergstrom died unexpectedly on March 28 at the age of 64. He was born February 3, 1952. Bill is survived by his wife Kathleen, children Sam and Sarah, and brothers Thomas, Robin, and Jeffrey. He received a Master's degree in creative writing from UW-Milwaukee. Bill worked for the Parking and Transit Department at UW-Milwaukee for 33 years. Though retired, he continued to regard his colleagues fondly. Bill was a devoted husband and father. He was also a poet and novelist. This talent with words did not stop him delighting in terrible puns. He also told bad jokes and steadfastly refused to sing on key. For these and so many other reasons, he will be deeply missed.
I met Bill in the 6th grade, he was part of the group I hung out with. He moved to Milwaukee after high school, met a wonderful women that he married, Kathy, and became a writer and father. We reconnected via email just before the 2008 election. I loved his books very much, and Kathy was a very good artist. When he showed us his basement, where he did his writing, he still listened to all of his LP's from high school, on an old fashioned stereo. It was marvelous. He and Kathy came to Chicago a couple of times. They came to my first and only Art show, for my 60th birthday, and he really understood, and could talk, about my work. He self-published his work but please look them up.
tribute by Mark Musich