William "Bill" L. Hart

William L. (Bill) Hart, age 78, of Eau Claire, died on June 8, 2024 at Marshfield Hospital, Marshfield, WI.  Bill was born in Mondovi, WI on June 9, 1945, the youngest son of Paul M. and Verna A. (Kwosek) Hart.  He attended Sacred Heart catholic grade school then graduated from Mondovi High School with the class of 1963.  He served two years in the US Navy with the 6^th Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean, aboard the troop carrier USS Fremont (APA-44), based out of Rota, Spain.   While working full-time he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Labor Relations from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside at Kenosha, WI in 1979.  On June 16, 1995 he married Sandra (Anderson) Risen in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

 Bill started his Human Resources career with corporate positions in HR at both Racine Steel Castings Company and Young Radiator Company in Racine, WI.  He entered the non-profit trade association industry at RAMAC in Racine in 1978.  He served three years as Director of Compensation Services at The Employers Association in Charlotte, NC.  In 1990, he was recruited to serve as President & CEO of Greater Cincinnati Employers Institute in Cincinnati, OH. He quickly renamed the organization Employers Resource Association, grew it to over 1,500 member companies, and there served the last 16 years of his 39-year HR career, retiring in 2006.

 After his retirement, Bill and Sandy returned to Wisconsin, first at Wausau where he served as a volunteer researcher for the Marathon County Historical Society.  Once in Eau Claire he volunteered at the L.E. Phillips Senior Center, the Aging and Disability Resource Center, Meals-on-Wheels, The Community Table and Feed My People Food Bank.  An avid genealogist, Bill was an online volunteer for FindAGrave.com and FamilySearch.com.  While wintering in Arizona, he was a member of the Surprise Sundancers, providing volunteer services for baseball’s spring training for the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. Bill was a life-long Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers fan.  During his 29-year marriage, Bill enjoyed sharing his love for travel with Sandy visiting many places throughout the US and abroad.

 Bill is survived by his loving wife, Sandra, of Eau Claire; two step-children, Lisa (Scott) Kees of Mondovi and Kirk (April) Risen of Hamilton, Ohio; seven step-grandchildren, Paige (Laramee) Maxey, Atoka, OK, Cassie (Nate) Pronschinske, Independence, WI, Garrett and Clay Kees, Eau Claire, Bryanne (Daniel) Nickel, Marshfield, WI, Brooklynn Morris, San Antonio, TX, and Cooper Risen, Hamilton, OH; great grandchildren, Paisa & Stoney Maxey, Atoka, OK, Maeve and Vayla Pronschinske, Independence, WI and  Jeffrey & Eilah Nickel, Marshfield, WI; sister, Kathleen Crawford,  Racine, WI;  sister-in-law Bonnie Hart, Racine, WI; brother-in-law, Larry (Jeanne) Anderson, Mondovi and numerous nephews and nieces.

 He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Phyllis Kent and Margaret Rud; brothers, Paul Hart,  Richard Hart and David Hart; brothers-in-law, Dale Rud and Robert Crawford;  nephews, Roger Kent and Kevin Rud.

 A Celebration of Life will be held at Talbot Funeral Home, Mondovi, WI on Sunday, June 16, 2024 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.