William E. Mick, III “Bill” (formerly of Lake Forest) entered life on September 17, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and eternal life on October 1, 2015 in Springfield, Missouri. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn; sons Bill of Chicago and Patrick of Washington, sister and brother-in-law, Cathy and Jack McDermott of Pennsylvania; nephews and cousins. Bill graduated from Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin and Marquette University in Milwaukee with a B.A. in political science. “I am one of the longtimers who has known Bill for decades. He was so many things . . . a great salesman, always personable and fun, sweet, caring . . . but most of all he was just a good human being with strong values and that is the highest praise of all. He will be missed”. Rick Sear, President Kraft Foods North America (retired). Bill began his career with the General Foods Corporation, which later became Kraft Foods. He was based out of Chicago to go onto Detroit, Michigan; and White Plains, New York. In 1980 he married JoAnn (nee; Zerbato) in Pawling, New York. They resided in Bethel, Connecticut; were transferred to North Carolina where their son, Bill was born; then onto Wheaton, Illinois; Trumbull, Connecticut where their son, Patrick was born; a GF assignment to Moonachie, New Jersey (which he commuted to from Connecticut); Barrington, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; Lake Forest, Illinois and in 2013 relocated to the beauty and peacefulness to live on Table Rock Lake in Branson West, Missouri. Over thirty-three years he worked his way through virtually every sales position. His last assignment was Vice President Customer Relations, Kraft Foods North America. In 2005 he retired from corporate headquarters in Northfield, Illinois. Bill was a family and company man. He loved his family very much and he recently celebrated thirty-five years of marriage with JoAnn. He enjoyed golfing and boating, became a corvette and MG MGA Mk II enthusiast, and was extremely patriotic. When Bill would see a veteran, he would always stop to visit and thank them for their service. Over the family years, community activities found him as a dad with his sons participating in YMCA Indian Guides and Trumbull Day Parades, in Trumbull, Connecticut; five seasons as a little league manager in the Barrington National Little League in Barrington, and active at Loyola Academy in Wilmette to fundraise with Rev. Norm Harland, S.J. After retirement, he drove his son to Springer Mountain, GA to watch him depart as he began to hike the Appalachian Trail, and on New Year’s Day 2011 launched the kayak for his son in the Annual Canoe paddle down the North branch of the Chicago River and met him at the conclusion. He was very proud of his sons; both graduates of Loyola Academy, Wilmette. Patrick received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Gonzaga University; and Bill undergraduate from the University of Notre Dame summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Bill was also a member of the Gonzaga University Board of Regents in Spokane, Washington. Anyone who knew Bill, was aware he would bleed green and gold; a Green Bay Packer fan by birth. Bill and JoAnn attended every home Packer game from 1997-2010. They were in attendance at the historic win by the Packers after a twenty-seven year hiatus at Superbowl XXXI in 1997/New Orleans led by Brett Favre and Reggie White. The Lombardi trophy had gone home. Attendance at cold games; standard. However, they were at Lambeau Field for the second coldest game in Packer history in January 2008. The windchill was -23 as they watched the NFC championship game against the New York Giants on the frozen tundra. Go Pack Go! Over the years both he and JoAnn enjoyed attending the University of Notre Dame football games, professional baseball games of the Milwaukee Brewers and the (sausage races), Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds (the only team in baseball with an opening day parade), and most recently the Kansas City Royals. The drives West through Wyoming and Montana became one of their favorites as they came to love the beauty of the Big Horn mountains. They belonged to the Tri-Lakes Corvette Club of Branson and had recently started to explore the British Motor Touring Club of the Ozarks in Springfield. A mass of christian burial was held for Bill on October 5, at Our Lady of the Cove Catholic Church in Kimberling City, Missouri. The mass was celebrated by Rev. Suresh Samala; and the readings by Jack McDermott, Bill’s special brother-in-law. A corvette caravan to the church in his honor was conducted by the Tri Lakes Corvette Club of Branson. A plaque will be placed at the student Chapel of Gonzaga University beneath Our Lady of Lourdes (mother of God) stained glass window in memory of Bill. Masses will also be offered at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana and St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church in Spokane, Washington. Memorials may be made to , 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, 800-805-5856, or www.stjude.org As Bill would always say, “trust all is well”.
