William T. "Bill" Halpin

Prairie du Chien, WI

Long time Prairie du Chien resident and businessman, William T. Halpin, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2018 in Sun City West, Arizona.

Bill was born on February 6, 1934 near Alma Center, Wisconsin.  The family moved to Loyal WI when he was two where he grew up on the farm with his parents and two brothers; he was the youngest of the three. He attended Pleasant Ridge Rural Grade School one mile north of the farm. This was a one room schoolhouse.  He went on to graduate from Loyal High School in 1948. Bill’s first car was a 1940 Studebaker Champion.  One of Bill’s first jobs was to work seven days a week in a cheese factory.  He was also in the National Guard.

Bill met the love of his life, Marietta O’Neill on the sixth of June 1952 when he and several of his friends went to the Country Ball Room in Marshfield.  By 1953 they were engaged to be married on May 25, 1954.  Bill and Mary were married for 63 years. 

In 1957, Bill and Mary bought a tire shop business in Elkader, Iowa. A year later a tornado had hit Elkader and one of the first buildings that was hit was Halpin Tire Service.  In 1958, Bill moved his family to Prairie du Chien and he rented the former grocery store from the Benish family at the same location it is today.  Bill was President of Halpin Tire Service from 1958-1999.

During his lifetime, Bill was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Family Movement. He collected stamps throughout his lifetime.  When he retired Bill spent a lot of time researching geneology for the O’Neill and Halpin families.  Bill also enjoyed technology and was a member of the Sun City West computer club.

He is survived by his wife, Mary O’Neill Halpin; seven children, Tom Halpin, Prairie du Chien; Mary Beth (Tim) Hundley, Glendale, WI; Kathie (Shawn) Connor, Hugo, MN; Patty (Noam) Kuilboer, Anchorage, AK; Peggy (John) Deiss, Oconomowoc, WI; Jan (Clint) Laskowski, Glendale, WI; and Jenny Halpin, Aurora, CO; sixteen grandchildren; Ryan, Molly, and Vincent Halpin, Katie Lewis, Ryan Hundley, Megan Bailey, Kaitlin King, Maureen Connor, Michael and Daniel Pollock, Brendan and Jack Deiss, Kelly, Colin, and Emma Laskowski, Ted Eifler and ten great grandchildren.  Bill was preceded in death by his parents Ted and Regina Halpin, brothers Donnie and Denny, infant daughter Jeannie Marie, and great grandson Jack Lewis.

 A Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, March 5, 2018 at 11:00 am at St. John’s Church of the Holy Family Parish, Rev. James Weighner officiating with burial in the Calvary Cemetery both in Prairie du Chien. Friends may call on Sunday, March 4th from 4-7 pm at the Garrity Funeral Home in Prairie du Chien, where there will be a Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you donate to a charity of your choice. www.garrityfuneralhome.com

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