William 'Bill' George Melchior

Bill was born on November 20th, 1935 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After a 10-month struggle with bladder cancer, he passed away on September 4th, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Maxine (MacKenzie) Melchior, his daughter Lisa and her husband Robert Kantor, and grandchildren Jordan and Claire Kantor. His son Michael preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his parents Mark and Anita (Knoernschild) Melchior and his brothers Mark, George and Daniel, and his brother-in-law John Pudil. He is survived by his brother James Melchior and his wife Karen, and sisters Mary Pudil and Joan Tonn, as well as many adoring nieces, nephews and cousins. He was a loving brother-in-law to the late Kenneth MacKenzie and his wife Sandy, Robert MacKenzie and his wife Claire, Ellen MacKenzie, and Neil Mackenzie and his wife Kathy. A graduate of Central Catholic High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he entered Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1954. His college career was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps which included time in Germany from 1955-57. He married Maxine MacKenzie on September 22, 1962 and joined Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corporation while completing course work for his degree from Marquette. He retired from MGIC as senior secondary market account executive in 1989. Bill and Maxine moved to Colorado in 2003 and grew to love spending time with family in the mountains. Their neighborhood friends became ""new"" family to them and Bill cherished his men's breakfasts and involvement in the community. Bill enjoyed golf, first as a teenaged caddy and then through many years of trying to break 100. Teaching his grandchildren the patience of fishing, and casting for walleye in northern Wisconsin with good friends and family also brought him joy. An avid reader and history buff, he could entertain any willing listener with stories and facts of world significance, and then break into side-splitting anecdotes. He was a man of great faith, integrity, and generosity, and will be forever remembered. A Funeral Mass will be on Friday, September 7, 2012 at 4:30pm St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 8035 South Quebec Street, Centennial, Colorado 80112. Memorials may be made in Bill's name to Red Rocks Cancer Center, Attn. Anne Meade, 400 Indiana Street, Suite #240, Golden, Colorado 80401. Please share your memories of Bill and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook.