William "Bill" P. Held

William “Bill” P. Held of Chicago, IL formerly of Waukesha died unexpectedly on Monday, June 17, 2019 at the age of 56. He was born in Wausau, WI on January 31, 1963 the son of James and Theresa (nee Barrett) Held. He was a 1981 graduate of Catholic Memorial High School and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from the College of Insurance in New York City. Bill remained out east for approximately 18 years. He later moved to Chicago where he worked for a number of top investment firms including Ernst & Young and MetLife. He was an avid reader, enjoyed walking and traveling and had a passion for following his investments. Bill was equally well-known for his culinary expertise for chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins, shared with family and friends at Christmas, special occasions or “just because”. Bill started and worked with St Joseph’s Mission, providing financial support to orphanages in Eastern Europe. He also found great joy in volunteering as a mentor and tutor of math through Catholic Charities in Chicago. Bill was a simple, gentle man who will always be remembered as a loving son, brother, uncle and friend.

He will be sadly missed by his beloved mother Theresa Held of Waukesha and his loving brothers and sisters, Kathleen Held of Monona, WI, James (Barbara) Held of Menomonee Falls, Colleen (Chris) Furrer of New Berlin and Thomas Held of Chicago. He was the proud uncle of Kyle Butz, Connor (Beverly) Butz, Andy Held, Kevin Held, Veronica (Kyle) Weidemann, Courtney Furrer, Kristen (Ryan) Dahlgren, Angie (Charlie) Schiraj and Samantha and great-uncle of five. He is further survived by cousins, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his father James Held and brother John Held.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 28, 2019 from 3:00PM until 4:45PM, followed by the funeral Mass at 5:00 PM all at St. Mary Catholic Church, 225 S. Hartwell Avenue, Waukesha, WI 53186. Father Chuck Wrobel will preside. Private burial will be held on Saturday at St. Joseph’s “Irish Eaton” Cemetery in Eaton, WI. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bill’s name are appreciated to Streetwise, 4554 N. Broadway St. #350, Chicago, IL 60640 (an organization helping the homeless to receive access to resources and employment opportunities), to Catholic Charities of Chicago, 721 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL 60654 or to the American Heart Association, 1555 N. RiverCenter Dr., Suite 211, Milwaukee, WI 53212.