William C. Rathje's Obituary
William Carl Rathje of Phoenix, AZ, formerly of Clinton IA, passed away peacefully on November 1, just three weeks shy of his 95th birthday. He had been valiantly battling cancer for 12 years.
He was surrounded by his daughter, son and grandchildren, who had flown in from different parts of the Midwest to be with him.
Born and raised in Clinton, IA, Bill’s earliest memories were of working the family farm with his father, Carl and brothers Gene and Jim. He joined the Navy immediately after graduating from Lyons High School and earned a BS degree in engineering from Valparaiso University. Bill then began a distinguished 43-year career with General Electric in Morrison, IL, during which he received two patents and several additional honors. Nearing the end of his career, he earned an MBA from St Ambrose University at age 62. After retiring from GE, he was asked to continue as a consultant, which he did for several additional years.
Bill’s partner in life was his wife Dorothy, a beautiful music student he met on a blind date. Eight years after their Easter 1951 wedding they welcomed a son, Stuart, and two years after that a daughter, Sandra. As Bill’s career and family responsibilities grew, he also began a lifelong commitment to community service. Bill was Scout Master of boy scout Troop 12 for many years. He served as President of the Ecumenical Housing Corp., a nonprofit organization that oversees Park Towers and Lyons Manor; he served on the Board of Directors of the Clinton County Habitat for Humanity; was a board member of the Sawmilll Museum; a member of Friends of the Library; and was a longtime member of the Clinton Kiwanis Club.
Bill became a Certified Master Gardener and took pride in showing off his extensive backyard garden, where he meticulously planted everything from roses to rhubarb. He also enjoyed his volunteer work at the Bickelhaupt Arboretum, for which he designed a new bridge.
Bill was predeceased by his parents, Carl and Alice Rathje and his brothers Gene and James Rathje. Survivors include his son Stuart (Linda Packer) Rathje of Chicago; daughter Sandra Hansen of Phoenix; granddaughter Brianna (Matt) Rotzoll of Des Moines, IA; and grandson Maxwell (Ankara) Hansen of Saginaw, MI.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held 10:30 am, January 20, 2024 at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton. Family will greet friends from 9:30 am until the service time at the church. Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be expressed by visiting his obituary at www.snellzornig.com.
Memorials may be sent to Bickelhaupt Arboretum or Zion Lutheran Church.
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