William E. (Bill) Maline, age 85, of Germantown, died peacefully in his home on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bill was born in Superior, WI, on January 10, 1931, the son of Mary and Anton Maline. He and his twin sister, Willamette, were the youngest with three older siblings, Patricia, Sheila and James.

Bill graduated from Superior High School and received a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin – Superior. He served in the US Army Reserve during the Korean Conflict as a high speed radio operator and among his duties, he interpreted and sent communications in Morse code. After discharge he went on to get his Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

After college, he taught English at Hartford High School where he met Madelyn (Mal) Maney, a gregarious and fun-loving home economics teacher. They had quite a whirlwind romance and were married less than a year later on June 14, 1958. They raised four loving children and this year they would have been married 58 years!

Bill changed career paths and for the majority of his adult life worked in advertising. He began his career as a proof reader and then advertising copy writer, working for several agencies in Milwaukee.

One of Bill’s passions was his love for music. Some of his favorites included 50’s big band music, Broadway musicals, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Our living room featured an upright piano that he'd play most nights after dinner. He also got tremendous enjoyment from singing in the Corpus Christi / Blessed Savior Catholic Church choir for most of his adult life.

Another of Bill’s hobbies was gardening and boy, he had quite a green thumb! At our home on 81st Street, he maintained quite an impressive vegetable garden and flower garden.

A turning point in Bill’s life happened in 1984 when gave up drinking with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous. This year, he celebrated 32 years of sobriety. For many years, Bill donated his time as he actively sponsored others in the program.

Bill was a quiet, thoughtful and caring man with a good sense of humor. Family was very important to him and he did good job providing for his family and instilling the values of education, hard work, and planning for the future. He will be greatly missed by many but his memory will live on in our hearts.

Bill is survived by children Patrick Maline of Germantown, Robert (Heather) Maline of Hudson, John Maline (George Gonzalez) of Dallas, and Ann (Bryan) Buchman of Waunakee, and grandchildren Shawn, Jacob, Audrey, and Mallory, step-grandchildren Bryanna and Brittany, sister Sheila Wise and a loving extended family. He is predeceased by his wife Mal of Germantown and his parents Anton and Mary Maline of Superior, sisters Willamette (Roger) Gobler of Jacksonville and Patricia (Chuck) Beyer of Stillwater, brother James (Bev) Maline of Milwaukee, and by in-laws Robert (Mary) Maney of Pensacola Beach, Tom (Blanche) Maney of Stevens Point, and Jack (Lorraine) Maney of Gulf Breeze.

Visitation will be at Schramka Funeral Home, 7841 W. Appleton Ave., Milwaukee, on Monday, November 21, 2016, from 5:30 to 7:00pm, followed by a prayer service at 7:00pm. There will also be a visitation at Blessed Savior Catholic Church, 8545 W. Villard Ave., Milwaukee, on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 12:00pm followed by a Funeral Mass at 1:00 pm.

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