William F. Lange

March 18, 1935 - October 9, 2026

Facebook

St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church

1937 Vel R. Phillips Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(414) 374-5750 |

Thursday 10/29, 9:00 am - 10:30 am

St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church

1937 Vel R. Phillips Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(414) 374-5750 |

Thursday 10/29, 10:30 am

William Francis Lange, cherished husband, father and grandfather, passed away October 9, 2026 at the age of 91.

Married to Joanne Therese (nee Neustedter) for 54 years, Bill was the proud father of Dorothy Mary (John Whelan), David William (Sara Krizan) and Joel Martin (Catherine). Grandpa loved his grandchildren Liam, Sean, Monique, Matthew, Jacob and Noah. He was also an athlete, Catholic priest, teacher, union leader, journalist and a human-rights activist.

Bill was born on March 18, 1935, in the suburbs of Chicago to Bud Lange and Mary Frances (nee Kennelly). Raised by Mary and a village of Langes, Bill and his brothers John and Jim grew up dedicated to each other, the church and the Chicago White Sox. He ran track and boxed for Fenwick High School and later took his talents to the Marquette University boxing team–and the classroom.

Graduating from Marquette University in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Bill served in the US Army until he was called home to take care of his family. He worked for a handful of years in Chicago until he received the calling to serve God and his community. He entered the Studium to become a Dominican priest in the early 1960s and was ordained a priest in 1971.

Bill chose to join the Dominican congregation in Cochabamba, Bolivia, shortly after being ordained. He worked as a chaplain in the local hospital. His life changed in Bolivia when he met Joanne, a Dominican nun from Milwaukee. They fell in love, left religious life, married and began their lives together. He taught sociology and philosophy at the local university and Joanne worked as a school counselor at the Methodist school. They established a home and brought Dori into the world.

Bill and Joanne decided to move to Milwaukee a year later when they were expecting David. With Dori in hand and a Bolivian rug (which still decorates their Wauwatosa apartment), they made the trek to Milwaukee in late 1974. Bill’s mother Mary and stepfather Francis, and Joanne’s parents welcomed the young and growing family home. David was born four months after they arrived. Then Joel arrived two years later and their family was complete–for the time being.

Bill was a tireless advocate for worker and human rights. For 17 years, he worked at Briggs & Stratton and was a member of Local 232, the union representing workers. He then worked with the Milwaukee County Labor Council encouraging the faith community to advocate for worker rights. In recent years, Bill and Joanne led the New Sanctuary Movement for Voces de la Frontera. As a part of his advocacy work, Bill wrote a blog covering topics from immigration, to worker rights and faith. He and Joanne were regular participants at the vigil honoring George Floyd on Vliet Street and Hawley Road. They also joined the Jericho Walk, a weekly protest at the ICE office downtown.

In retirement, Bill enjoyed spending time with his six grandchildren, whom he adored, travelling to see them in London and San Francisco always with golf clubs in tow.

In our culture and society that casts people aside, Bill taught us to love without condition. In prayer, he walked the picket line for health insurance; he fought for immigrant rights; he refused food in protest of the catholic church’s abuse scandals; he enjoyed both marriage ceremonies and receptions. Bill and Joanne’s door was always open, their kitchen had food for you and their arms were open for hugs.

Preceded in death by brother John Lange, step brother Mac McNabb and brother-in-law Lee Neustedter.

The family thanks the caregivers who made Bill’s last months comfortable, and the friends and family who supported him and Joanne during that time.

In lieu of flowers and if you have means, please donate to the St. Ben’s Meal Program or Voces de la Frontera. More importantly, share a meal with someone in need. Thank someone who provides for you. Treat all as family. “For it is in giving we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

A celebration of life will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, 1937 North Vel R. Phillips Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 29, 2026. Visitation from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM. Mass at 10:30 AM.

Close-up of an older man with white hair and a light beard wearing rectangular glasses, outdoors with green plants in the background, smiling slightly.

Smiling boy in red shirt at an outdoor cafe table on a sunny city street with adults nearby.

Two men standing together beside a golf cart in a parking lot on a sunny day, with a golf bag in the foreground and green trees in the background.

Three adults sit on a porch, eating and chatting, with a beige house and blue shutters in the background.

Group of family and friends sitting on a red cushioned bench outside a brick building, posing for a photo and smiling.

Group of runners posing for a selfie on a sunny day, a dog held by one runner in the center, with trees and a road sign in the background.

Three people—an older woman, a boy, and an older man—sit around a glass patio table outdoors playing a domino game on a sunny porch.

Older man sitting in a lawn chair outdoors, surrounded by four smiling children, with yellow paint or slime on his shirt and hands as they play together on a sunny day.

Group of people sitting on the grassy park lawn, chatting with trees and a path in the background.

A multi‑generational family of seven sits closely on a living room couch, smiling, with three geometric framed artworks on the wall behind them.

Group of family members posing for a photo in a Beatles Cirque du Soleil venue, confetti on the floor behind them.

Group of family and friends seated along a long table in a casual restaurant, smiling at the camera with a brick wall behind them.

Crowd seated in a stadium with a woman wearing sunglasses in the foreground, a boy in a cap, and an elderly man with a cane nearby; red and green balloons rest in a bin at the front edge of the row.

Bearded man in a black polo taking a selfie at a stadium with three other people seated behind him.

Group of adults and a child sit together in a backyard under a canopy, chatting and relaxing on lawn chairs with drinks nearby.

Family group posing for a photo in front of the Sagrada Família’s intricate stone façade, with a man in a wheelchair in the foreground.

Tourists pose at the Sagrada Família entrance with towering spires in the background on a sunny day.

Group of seniors seated outdoors in a plaza with a pale-yellow building and vintage street lamps in the background, smiling at the camera.

Older man in a wheelchair sits with a young boy on his lap along a seaside promenade, with distant mountains behind them.

Two older adults sit at a seaside cafe table, smiling with beach and blue umbrellas in the background.

Grandfather with two smiling boys posing on a seaside boardwalk with the ocean and distant hills in the background.

Older man in a blue tropical shirt and a child in an orange shirt with blue swim goggles sit at a dining table with woven placemats; a gold-framed abstract painting hangs behind them.

Two men standing on a sandy outdoor path, one in a green t‑shirt and striped knee socks, the other in a light shirt and dark shorts with a watch.

Young child sits on a patterned rug wearing a dark long-sleeve shirt and white sneakers, with a wrapped or casted leg extended in front.

Group of adults at a restaurant table, smiling and posing; seated man in a white shirt holds a beer bottle in the foreground.

Man in a white shirt and cap stands in front of a large stone mural that reads 'Democracia Libertad Justicia' with seated men nearby, in a mountain setting.

Group of seven adults posing in front of a vintage bus with orange stripes.

Man in a white shirt walks in a street protest, with a large white banner featuring red text and a crowd behind him in an urban neighborhood.

An older couple standing together indoors, smiling at the camera, with a wood-paneled wall behind them and a small table to the right.

Bride and groom in formal attire smiling at each other as they stand beside a tiered wedding cake decorated with flowers.

Portrait of a middle-aged man with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a white button-down shirt, standing in front of a brick wall.

Close-up of a middle-aged man with short gray hair and rectangular glasses, looking to the left.

Older man in a plaid suit and tie with round glasses and a mustache, standing outside a building with an arched doorway.

Three men pose outdoors in a sepia-toned vintage photo, with an older man in a tie between two younger men behind him in casual shirts.

Three people in suits posing on a suburban sidewalk: a young boy, his older father and grandfather with trees and houses in the background.

Four people sit closely together in a warm, faded family photo; two men on the left, an elderly woman center, and a man on the right, in front of a round wall hanging.

Black-and-white photo of three adults and a smiling child posing at a party, with patterned wallpaper in the background; the woman in the center wears a dark dress and corsage.

Young man in a sleeveless shirt with boxing gloves raised in a fighting stance, black-and-white photo.

Boxer in headgear seated in a gym while a coach and two men talk nearby; a large newspaper clipping with the headline Marquette Boxers Will Decide Titles covers the right side.

Young child in a knit sweater and bonnet sits on a pony in a yard, with ivy-covered bushes and a house in the background.

Black-and-white photo of a smiling couple in formal attire—man in a light suit and glasses, woman in a dark dress with a corsage—standing in front of patterned wallpaper.

Vintage black-and-white portrait of a young boy in a light suit with a tie and a bow on the lapel, facing slightly to the left.

Four men posing together on a golf course, holding golf clubs and wearing casual golf attire. (outdoor greens and trees in the background)

Black-and-white portrait of a young man with short dark hair and round glasses, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

Four people posing indoors, smiling together, with coats on a rack in the background.

Two men in suit jackets and glasses posing close together, smiling at the camera with a wooden backdrop behind them.

Man wearing glasses looks down at a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket.

Family portrait: a man in a patterned sweater holding a sleeping baby, with a smiling woman in a white blouse beside him in a doorway.

Adult man with glasses standing behind a smiling toddler on a playground swing in black and white.

Young man in WWII-era US Army dress uniform with glasses, looking at the camera.

Man with glasses swinging a long wooden stick or bat at a hanging bag in a sunny backyard, fence and bushes in the background

Black-and-white photo of two children standing in a park; left child smiles, wearing a light top and dark shorts, right child in a light button-down shirt and dark knee-length shorts.

Young boy in an old-style baseball uniform standing outdoors with a glove in one hand and a ball in the other.

Person on a bicycle in a park, leaning against a tree with foliage around (black-and-white photo).

Young child in light clothing standing on a sunny grassy yard with houses and trees in the background.

Three adults sit around a table with a bright floral tablecloth, smiling at the camera.

Three people pose on a sunny beach, with a yellow boat and palm trees in the background.

An older man in a blue shirt dancing with a woman in a colorful striped dress on a stage with a blue backdrop.

Woman in a black dress laughs while holding hands with a gold-costumed dancer cutout and two older men at a blue event backdrop behind them.

Two men smiling together on a sunny city street with ornate white buildings in the background, one wearing a plaid shirt and the other a blue polo shirt.

Two men stand together on a rooftop terrace with a cityscape of beige buildings behind them; one wears a denim shirt, the other a black graphic tee.

Older man in a gray suit and red tie posing with a ceremonial guard in blue and red uniform beside a gold-framed carriage indoors.

Older man in a gray suit and patterned cowboy hat standing next to a smiling woman in a blue sweater outdoors beside a stone wall.

Man in a gray plaid blazer and blue shirt wearing a cowboy hat stands under a large tree outdoors, looking at the camera.

Older man with gray hair and mustache wearing glasses and a name badge sits at a red-and-white checkered table, with plates of food and bottles in front of him.

Two people posing for a photo indoors: an older man with gray hair and glasses next to a younger woman with dark hair and glasses.

Group of four people posing outdoors in coats, smiling at the camera, with a stone wall behind them.

Adult man with glasses sits on a couch, cuddling a young child under a blanket in a cozy living room with a lamp nearby.

Two men pose for a casual photo on a sunny beachfront street with palm trees and a tall building in the background.

Three generations at a dining table toasting with wine glasses during a family meal.

Two people posing for a photo outdoors: an older man with gray hair and glasses next to a smiling younger woman with dark hair. A railing and hill are in the background.

Two people smiling for a photo under a brick archway.

Family of five posing together in a suburban driveway in front of two parked cars. The brick house sits behind them, and everyone faces the camera.

Gift basket wrapped in clear plastic with red grapes, apples, and assorted chocolates and cookies visible inside.

Three men pose beside a red car in a parking lot, one leaning on the trunk wearing a blue outfit, another in a patterned shirt, the third in a light shirt; a white rooftop cargo box atop the car is visible.

Group photo of smiling people wearing blue uniforms, posing closely outdoors.

Black-and-white portrait of a man in clerical attire with a white collar and glasses, looking slightly to the left.

Vintage group photo of a family gathered around a long dining table with a floral centerpiece; a priest sits on the right side.

Black-and-white photo of a person wearing glasses and a white shirt, standing in a snowy park with bare trees in the background.

Two men pose on a wooden railing in a leafless park; one stands in a dark quilted jacket with glasses, the other sits and looks up, with picnic tables in the background. (Nov 1964)

Man in a graduation gown with a white collar, wearing glasses, smiling at the camera in a portrait.

Four adults posing outdoors: two men in suits on the ends with a bride in white and a woman in a pale dress in the middle.

Three adults standing outdoors on a dusty field, posing for a photo: a woman in a light dress on the left, a man in dark clothing in the center, and a tall man in a suit on the right.

Group of novices in dark habits posing on the steps outside a stone church, in front of an arched doorway (caption reads: The Novice Class of 1964-1965 pose in their newly-received habits...).

Three men in white shirts and ties pose together in a vintage, wallpapered room with a patterned curtain in the background.

Three people poke their heads through cow-shaped cutouts in a bright mural, with plants in the foreground.

Grandfather with glasses and a cap on a bus, a baby touches his nose while being held by a woman with glasses and a purple blanket nearby.

Older man with glasses and a mustache in a red sweater hugs two young children indoors, smiling at the camera.

Older man with glasses sits at a red table, birthday cake with lit candles in front of him.

Two men in matching blue Hawaiian shirts stand close, arms around each other, in front of a black wall with colorful chalk art and signs behind them.

Three adults sit on a blue couch around a snacks table on a balcony with a waterfront view; chips, dip, and red cups are visible in the foreground.

Five adults stand shoulder to shoulder on wide stone steps in front of a row of tall classical columns on a beige building façade.

Three people posing for a selfie indoors: a girl in a teal Marmot jacket on the left, an older man with glasses and a cap in the middle, and a smiling woman with glasses on the right.

Family of four posed outdoors in a desert with red rock formations and a clear blue sky; two adults in jackets and a child in front, all smiling.

Older man with white beard sitting on a blue cushioned chair on a brick porch, holding a wooden walking cane with flowers and plants nearby and a carved wall hanging behind him.

Two seniors pose for a photo at a costume party; man wears a horn headband and green sweater, woman wears a witch hat and glasses, both smiling at the table.

Older man in a cap kneels on a sidewalk, holding a large portrait of a pope in front of him on a sunny urban street.

Older man with a white beard in a wheelchair eats soup at a dining table in a home setting.

Two men sit close together on a bed in a bedroom; older man with white hair and oxygen tubing, younger man with a gray beard beside him.

Two men sit close together, smiling warmly—the younger man with dark hair and beard leaning toward an elderly man with white hair who’s resting in bed, wrapped in a colorful leaf-patterned blanket.

Older woman in a pastel striped shirt laughs with a man in a suit as they look at a document together.

Older man with glasses holding a young child in a blue jacket, both looking toward the camera indoors.

Smiling older couple seated on a blue patterned train seat; woman wears red and glasses, man in a gray plaid jacket beside her.

Two older men stand side by side on a hillside, smiling at the camera with a city skyline in the background.

Smiling elderly couple posing for a photo indoors; woman with short dark hair, glasses, and pearl necklace, man with gray hair and glasses in a suit, brick wall behind them.

Smiling elderly couple posing in a subway station, holding a large red sign that reads 'Jo' and 'Meet your new best friend' (partially visible).

Two children pose for a photo: a smiling girl in a floral yellow dress on the left and a boy with glasses on the right indoors.

Two men in suits and ties smiling for the camera, posing shoulder to shoulder.

Two smiling people posing for a vintage photo, a man with glasses and light facial hair beside a woman with short hair wearing a corsage.

Two runners in a street race: left runner in green shirt with a deer graphic and bib 25881; right runner in a white sweatshirt with a bold graphic and a red headband, mid-stride amid spectators and barriers.

Adult man with glasses smiling beside a shirtless young child, posing for a photo together indoors/outdoors.

Man wearing large glasses holds a young child on his lap, both looking toward the camera (black-and-white photo).

Close-up black-and-white portrait of a man with dark hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and a dark turtleneck, looking at the camera.

Two young boys posing together for a vintage photo; one in a light sweater in front, the other behind in dark clothing, both smiling.

Young man wearing glasses in a suit with a striped tie, in a black-and-white portrait.

Vintage black-and-white photo of a mother with three children posing outdoors in a family portrait.

A family group gathered around a table with a cake, smiling for the photo at a celebration.

Black-and-white portrait of a young person in a striped suit and tie, looking slightly to the left.

Close-up of a white-haired man wearing glasses and a beard, outdoors with green plants in the background.

Krause Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Joe Heil and Raluca Stanescu

Sean Mollie Ella OSullivan

stasia young

Ricky & Nicole Butler

Light a candle

St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church

1937 Vel R. Phillips Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(414) 374-5750 | Map

Thursday 10/29, 9:00 am - 10:30 am

St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church

1937 Vel R. Phillips Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(414) 374-5750 | Map

Thursday 10/29, 10:30 am

William Francis Lange, cherished husband, father and grandfather, passed away October 9, 2026 at the age of 91. Married to Joanne Therese (nee Neustedter) for 54 years, Bill was the proud father of Dorothy Mary (John Whelan), David William (Sara Krizan) and Joel Martin (Catherine). Grandpa loved his grandchildren Liam, Sean, Monique, Matthew, Jacob andContinue Reading

Watch Tribute

See Condolences

To Joanne, the children and grandchildren my heartfelt love and support. Bill was the personification of kindness and gentleness wrapped in humor and warmth. A beautiful life. A beautiful love story. You made the world a brighter place. I am grateful for the blessing of your friendship. Hasta la vista!

Knowing Bill was a joy and an inspiration. We worked together in the 90's trying to raise awareness of the conditions in global sweatshops and the need to protect workers from unfair global trade. We participated in a protest that got me arrested. He had a great sense of humor and a deep understanding of moral philosophy as it applied to labor and human rights. My wife Eldeen and I loved sharing dinner and conversation with Bill and Joanne. Peace.

In memory of William F. Lange, Joe Heil and Raluca Stanescu lit a candle

Bill was such a kind, generous and loyal friend to my parents over the years. Sincere condolences to Joanne and family on the loss of a good man. Rest in peace, Bill.

In memory of William F. Lange, MH lit a candle

Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.

God bless you Bill rest in peace our friend with condolences Sean Mollie and Ella OSullivan

Speak Their Name Someone I love has gone away  and life is not the same,  the greatest gift that you can give is just to speak their name.   I need to hear the stories  and the tales of days gone past,  I need for you to understand  these memories must last.   We’ll never make more memories since they are no longer here,  so when you say their name to me  it’s music to my ear.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who remember Bill.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.

William F. Lange

Brookfield

Brown Deer Road

Capitol Drive

New Berlin