William John Thompson, age 87, of Deer Park, Wisconsin died early in the morning of Saturday, April 19th with his daughters by his side.

Bill was born at Baldwin Hospital on September 1, 1937. His family lived in Burkhardt, WI where Bill’s mother was employed by the Burkhardt family and his father by NSP. In the late 1940’s, Bill and his parents moved to a farm north of Deer Park. Bill lived on part of that land until he passed away more than 70 years later.

December 10, 1963 Bill married Anne Parenteau of North St. Paul, MN. They worked the family farm along with Bill’s parents and welcomed their daughters Christine and Michele in 1965 and ‘66. In 1967, when his parents stopped farming, Bill began working for Champion Aircraft in St. Croix Falls, then moved the family to Clear Lake where he worked for Merle Wood and learned the pump business. In 1969, Bill started Bill’s Pump Repair and in 1970 bought the east half of the family land in Deer Park to set up shop. In 1971 their third daughter, Jennifer, was born. In September of 2000 Bill sold his business to daughter Chris. His reputation for excellence was well-known in the community and the industry.

Bill enjoyed his work but when he had time, he loved fishing or taking long, Sunday drives to places like Cady Cheese Factory, the North Shore of Lake Superior, or to visit some other interesting place like a solar farm, an old hydroelectric mill, or a waterfall. The family took many road trips over the years to see the Rockies, the Gulf of Mexico, Mt. Rushmore, and Walt Disney World, among others. His favorite “ride” was his 1978 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, especially on winding roads around the lakes and ponds between Star Prairie and Little Falls. Most of all, Bill loved music – in later years, he took up the fiddle, banjo, guitar… but he really loved to listen and to sing. Listening to his favorite songs from Jim Reeves to Marty Robbins to Swiss yodeling will always bring Bill back for his family.

About 5 years ago, Bill was diagnosed with lung cancer. He made the brave choice to face it head on without biopsy, without chemotherapy or other treatment, and to let it run its course. As a result, he lived that time at home, in relatively good health, enjoying his children, grandchildren, and friends. Right up to the end, he continued to plan for family events, caring for his land, and getting ready to plant a garden. His phone is filled with photos of the deer, turkeys, bear, and other wildlife out his window, as well as budding crab trees in spring and fire red maples in the fall. Bill never stopped living – right up until the very moment that he died.

Bill is survived by his daughters Christine Walker, Michele Miller, and Jennifer Thompson, sons-in-law Jim (Michele) Miller and Troy (Jennifer) Jones, grandchildren Eli (Jennifer) and Johnathan Walker, Sarah (Michael Pias) Ashby, Hannah Erickson, Jackson (Hannah) Nickolay, Maria (Adam) Booth, Luke Nickolay, James Miller, and William Jones; great grandchildren April and Annabelle Walker and Freya Booth, many friends and colleagues, sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, as well as his very special friend, Vivian Kemling.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Gertrude and Gerhardt Thompson, his wife of 50 years Anne, parents-in-law Leon and Evelyn Parenteau, son-in-law Brad Walker, many brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, and unborn grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at the Williamson-White Funeral Home in Amery, WI with a visitation from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Burial will take place at the Amery Cemetery. Refreshments will be served and time for sharing memories at the Amery Community Center (608 Harriman Ave S., Amery, WI 54001) immediately following the graveside service.

Last Update: Apr 24, 2025 1:24 pm CDT