William R. Lind

William “Bill” R. Lind, age 71, of Mukwonago was born to eternal life on Thursday, March 4, 2021, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Saline, Michigan, on September 1, 1949, the son of the late William and Helen (nee Sloan) Lind. On August 5, 1972, he married his high school sweetheart, Linda Carlson, at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, where he was a charter member. Together they made their home in Waukesha, where they raised their four children.

Bill graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a bachelor’s degree in Education and later went on to obtain his master’s degree in Mathematics. He was a lifelong dedicated educator who had a great love for teaching and helping others. He taught math at Greenfield High School for 38 years and was a college math professor in the evenings. He was caring, kindhearted, and wanted his students to be successful, often taking phone calls at home to help students. His passion for negotiation and desire to advise teachers led him to serve as the President of the Greenfield High School Teacher’s Union. Upon retirement from Greenfield High School, he served as a Mathematics Program Director at Bryant & Stratton College.

Bill was an active member at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, where he taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. He also served on the church council and as a deacon. Together with his wife, Linda, they participated in church adult fun club activities, making lifelong friends who they traveled with to many fun places, including Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and Florida.

Bill had a mathematical mind and a love for numbers and statistics. He often played card games, including cribbage, sheepshead, and poker - blackjack at Potawatomi Casino was his favorite. He was an avid sports fan, cheering on the Badgers, Brewers, Bucks, and Packers. He was a Yooper who never forgot his Upper Peninsula roots. He loved a good pasty and time spent up at the family cottage fishing on Brule Lake. He took pride in his family, home, and yard. He delighted in feeding God’s birds all year long. Above all else, Bill cherished his family. He enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren and was happiest when his family was all together by his side. He never missed a moment that was important in their lives, and they knew he was always there for them.

Bill had a strong work ethic and taught his children and grandchildren by example that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. With his courage, determination, fearlessness, and will to live for his family, he fought type 1 diabetes and its many complications for 56 years. Through it all, he never gave up.

Bill will be forever missed by his loving and devoted wife of 49 years, Linda, and their children, Karina (Brian) Derenne of Eagle, Sarah (Abel) Lazcano of Waukesha, Angela (Ryan) Broich of Johnson Creek, and William Kyle (Tara) Lind of Merton. He was the proud “papa” of Alexis Kennedy and Kyara Lazcano, Ethan and Calista Broich, and Linnea and William Lind. He is further survived by his sister, Susan (Michael) Finley of Waukesha, his cats Salem and Simba, and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother James H. Lind and brother-in-law Michael A. Carlson.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to Debra Lanza, APNP, MSN, RVT, the staff at Mukwonago DaVita, and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Wisconsin for the compassionate care and encouragement they provided to Bill and family.

We will miss you and you will live on in our hearts forever.

Visitation will be held at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 2016 Center Road, Waukesha, WI 53189 on Thursday March 11, 2021, from 2:00 p.m. until the 4:00 p.m. memorial service. Memorials to the family or memorials in Bill’s name are appreciated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), 1800 Appleton Road Suite 2, Menasha, WI 54952.

Face masks are required at church, and CDC social distancing guidelines will be followed. Due to capacity limits, the church can safely seat a total of 60 people for the service.