William D. Browne ’50

Bill, a lifelong resident of Milwaukee, died peacefully Oct. 5, 2015.

He graduated from Milwaukee University School and served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946 aboard a destroyer in the South Pacific. At Princeton, Bill majored in history, was manager of the varsity tennis team, and belonged to Charter.

He spent 10 years working as a salesman before founding the Browne Packaging Co. Bill sold the company in 1985 and joined Marquette Electronics, where he directed the charitable trust until his retirement. Bill was an active volunteer in many Milwaukee civic groups. He founded a ski program that taught and provided specialized skis that enabled people with disabilities to ski on nearby slopes. Bill also was a state-ranked tennis player.

Family reunions were a big event for him, especially an annual ski trip to Vail; spring vacations in Destin, Fla.; and sojourns to a summer cottage on Beaver Lake. Painting was a hobby he enjoyed later in his life.

Both Bill and his wife, Nancy, had been married before, so their marriage 49 years ago brought his five children and her four to the family. He is survived by Nancy, eight of the children, 22 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.