William Emil “Bill” Beck passed away on Thursday July 16, 2026, from complications following surgery. Bill was 84 years old.
Bill was born on April 30, 1942, in Racine, to Emil and Grayce (nee Anderson) Beck. He was a lifelong resident of Racine County, living the first 58 years of his life in Sturtevant. For the remaining 26 years he lived in the Village of Yorkville.
Bill attended Sturtevant Elementary School, Washington Junior High in Racine, and then Rochester Agricultural School the last two years it held classes. In 1959 he transferred to Union Grove High School for his senior year, becoming a member of the National Honor Society. He distinguished himself in sports, lettering in football, baseball, track and basketball. His honors in basketball included 1960 Racine County High Scorer, All County First Team and State Honorable Mention. He graduated with the Class of 1960.
On Feb. 8, 1964, he married his high school sweetheart, the former Elaine Vyvyan, in the Yorkville United Methodist Church, where he was currently a member and served as a Trustee for many years. Bill and Elaine celebrated their 62nd anniversary this year. Together, they made happy memories traveling to Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, Wyoming, road trips to New England, the Pacific Northwest and Southwest and many motorcycle trips with longtime friends.
Bill wore many hats throughout his life. He was a self-employed residential home builder, doing business as Bill Beck Construction, building most of his houses in Sturtevant. In the early 1970’s he served as Assessor for the Village of Sturtevant. He held a real estate broker’s license for 25 years, doing business as W. E. Beck Realty. For a short time, he was a partner in Beck Horizon Builders. He retired from the building industry in 2001.
Bill was a member of the Sturtevant Volunteer Fire Department for 25 years and served in various officer positions, including Chief. He was one of the first certified EMTs in Racine County. His service with SVFD remained a lifelong source of pride for him and the Volunteer Department was always close to his heart.
Bill was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and nature. Some of his happiest memories was taking his sons on hunting trips to British Columbia and New Mexico.
In 2000, he and Elaine moved to Yorkville where he realized a dream of developing a wildlife conservation habitat for deer and ducks; building ponds, planting trees and restoring prairie. In his later years he was able to watch his grandchildren learn to appreciate the outdoors and enjoy it as much as he did. He took extreme pride taking anyone interested on a tour.
The truest measure of a man is how tall he stands in the eyes of his family. Bill had a strong love for his family. He is survived by his wife, Elaine; one daughter, Kristine Beck of Sturtevant; two sons, Joel (Laurie) Beck of Yorkville, and Jonathan Beck of Hixton; three grandsons, Thomas (Amanda) Beck, Grant (Allie) Beck and Cole Beck; one granddaughter, Lauren Beck; two step-granddaughters: Amie (Roger) Koehnlein and Elizabeth (Ben) Greenlees; five great-grandchildren, Hans and Lana Koehnlien, Owen and Rory Greenless, and Eliana Rose Beck, plus one great-grandson on the way; brothers, Steve Beck and David (Diane) Beck; sister, Carol Swantz; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a niece, Berit Beck; sister-in-law, Kristine Beck (Steve); and great niece, Hailey Beck.
Bill led a full and meaningful life and will be missed by all who knew and loved him. His legacy will continue to inspire and comfort his family, who will carry forward the love and kindness he so generously shared. He leaves behind a lifetime of stories, strength, laughter, and love. He was a man who stood tall, spoke plainly, and loved deeply. He will be remembered not just for what he did, but for who he was – to his family, his community, and to all the lives he touched.
A visitation took place on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Polnasek-Daniels Funeral Home in Union Grove. Funeral service was held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at Yorkville United Methodist Church in Union Grove. Interment followed in Westlawn Memorial Park, Racine.
Memorials to Yorkville United Methodist Church in Bill’s honor are suggested.
For online condolences, please visit www.danielsfamilyfuneral.com.