William E. Rusch

William “Bill” E. Rusch passed in peace on April 3, 2022, at the age of 73. He was born April 24, 1948, to the late Ervin and Mary (Zahn) Rusch. In 1966, he graduated from Gillett High School and, at the age of 20, was inducted in the U.S. Army and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. When he returned home, he attended NWTC in Green Bay and earned a degree in Credit Management. On July 14, 1973, he married the love of his life, Diane Block. He spent 32 years working as an insurance agent for American Family Insurance in Gillett and retired in December 2008. Diane and Bill lived in Gillett until 1995 and then moved to Cecil, where they have resided for the past 26 years. Bill loved kids and spent many hours with nieces, nephews and other friends’ kids enjoying boating, swimming, water skiing, coaching Little League, going to baseball games and pretty much anything they wanted to do. He loved to give each one their own special nicknames. Bill loved talking to and getting to know people. His sense of humor and mild-mannered personality endeared him to a multitude of friends. Bill enjoyed fishing, softball, boating and playing golf with his wife and friends at as many golf courses as they could play at in one summer. Bill is survived by his wife, Diane Rusch; his sister, Sandy Hubbard; nieces, Dana Gilboy, Chris Schuler, Aliza Block and Kali Southworth; and nephews, Jamie Hubbard, Steve Popp, Robert Popp, Stuart Popp and Kaleb Matthias, and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Rick and Julie Block, and Roxy and Dave Matthias. He was preceded in death by his parents Ervin and Mary (Zahn) Rusch, two sisters, Lois Popp and Marion Meyer and his in-laws, Melvin Block and Carol Block-Webster. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022, at Swedberg-Wendt Funeral Home in Bonduel, with Dick Menning officiating. Military honors will be performed by the Bonduel American Legion. Inurnment will be in Wanderers Rest Cemetery in Gillett at a later date. Visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home Saturday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Parkinson’s Foundation or Patriot K-9s of Wisconsin. Diane would like to express her gratitude to the amazing caregivers at The Cottages Memory Care Facility in Shawano, who made Bill feel loved and cared for. Also special thanks to Memories Hospice staff who made this difficult time more manageable. www.swedbergfuneralhome.com