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William J. (Bill) Arneson
February 27, 1954 - July 08, 2007
Obituary:
This quote from Arnold Palmer hangs in a prominent place in Bill?s office and pays tribute to a man who truly loved the game of golf. It reads: ?Golf is decisively simple & endlessly complicated. It satisfies the soul & frustrates the intelligence. It is at the same time rewarding & maddening. It is without a doubt the greatest game Mankind has ever invented.? On Sunday, July 8, 2007 a man of gentle and noble nature died unexpectedly, leaving behind a loving family, and many friends to mourn his brief but incredible life. William J. ?Bill? Arneson, age 53 of Kenosha, began his life when he was born on February 27, 1954 to James C. and Patricia M. (Cantwell) Arneson. Bill proudly graduated from St. Mark Elementary, and was a 1972 graduate of St. Joseph High School. He furthered his education at Loras College and U.W. Parkside. Following school, he worked in the family business, Arneson Foundry, until he wanted to achieve his own dreams. Then, on January 17, 1981 in Las Vegas, Nevada Bill married his love, Pattie Dolnik. They were blessed with two incredibly loving daughters, Erin & Courtney. For over 15 years Bill and Pattie owned and operated Bill?s Grayslake Piggly Wiggly. Despite the fact that Bill was such a passionate man, there was nothing ordinary about the way he lived his life. Yes, he performed common tasks in life, but it was the intensity and joy that was derived from what he did. From golfing to running a business; and from raising two children with his wife, to bowling and hunting - Bill had an energy that surrounded his life-experiences that was contagious. Bill was a member of St. Peter?s Catholic Church; the KRA (Kenosha Recognition Association); and the 35 Club. He was a member of the Kenosha Country Club and the Grayslake Chamber of Commerce. But to know Bill was to completely understand that he was most enthusiastic about the game of golf. Not only did he play in numerous charity golf events in Lake and Kenosha Counties, but he also set some very impressive records. He scored his one and only hole-in-one in 2004 at Rolling Meadows Country Club, and currently holds the course record of 63 at Maplecrest Country Club. Bill was the 1990 Kenosha Country Club Championship Flight Champion; and he also won the 2004 Kenosha County Senior Open, and he served on its committee. He has won the County Open several times, and he, his father Jim, and his daughter Erin currently hold the Kenosha County record for three-generations of County Open Champions. He will be remembered by those who loved him most as ?The Best Weenie Roaster?, and ?The Master Griller?. Left to reminisce about their many family trips to Door County and Naples, Florida, and to grieve their immense loss are Bill?s wife Pattie; their two daughters: Erin (Matthew Ginn) Arneson of Zion, and Courtney Arneson of Waukesha; his parents, James and Patricia Arneson of Kenosha; his brother, Robert J. Arneson of Racine; and a sister, Betsy (Jim) Schliesleder of Cedarburg. Bill was preceded in death by his grandparents, Albert and Clara Arneson, and Jack and Claire Cantwell; his uncle John Arneson; and his father and mother-in-law, Rudy and Alice Dolnik. |
