MADISON - William F. Heibl was born August 4, 1945, in Madison, Wis., and passed away peacefully on August 19, 2025, age 80, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was the son of Anthony and Lois Heibl, growing up along the shores of Lake Michigan in Kenosha, where he enjoyed fishing in his youth with his father, Tony, and his brother, John.

A Vietnam War-era veteran, Bill returned home to Wisconsin where he found love in the cereal aisle of the Piggly Wiggly when he met his future wife, Sharron. They married on June 10, 1972, and built a life full of love and adventure.

Bill was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and practiced law and operated several local businesses with his brother John, their families, their friends, and colleagues. He was a lifelong supporter of the Wisconsin Badgers, cherished spending time at the family cottage in Northern Wisconsin, and enjoyed simple pleasures like a hike in a state park or a drive in the countryside. He also loved the mountains of Colorado and climbed several of them. His memorable ascent of Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, with his son, David, remained a particularly special memory.

He was a loving and devoted father, often serving as a volunteer coach for youth sports, and was always one of the strongest supporters of David's pursuits. In the late 1990s, Bill and Sharrie also welcomed a foreign exchange student into their home for a year, Simon Peiner, who became a lifelong family friend.

In his retirement, he and Sharrie began "chasing the sun" to Florida in the winter as their parents had done before them, traveling extensively, and Bill became an avid concert-goer and supporter of music and art. Most of all, Bill adored his grandchildren and the "Meema and Papa" adventures that he and Sharrie planned for precious days when the grandkids were off of school.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Sharron; his son, David and daughter-in-law, Camila; and his treasured grandchildren, Ethan, Sarah, and Lily; his brother, John; sister-in-law, Gail; nephew, Ted Jun and spouse, Patrick Long; grandniece, Addison Long; and close family friend, Simon. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Ann in 1968; and uncle, Joeseph Heibl. He will be remembered for his quiet warmth, dry sense of humor, strength, and fierce dedication to doing the right thing and caring for those he loved.

A celebration of life will be held at Gunderson East Funeral and Cremation Care, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, with a visitation from 1 to 3 p.m. and a few words of remembrance at 3 p.m.

Memorials may be made to the UW Carbone Cancer Center or Agrace HospiceCare.