William "Bill" C. Baltazar

William Charles Baltazar was brought into the world on April 29,1950, the youngest of the ten children. Being the baby of a large family had its advantages. He learned at a young age that laughter and quick wit made light of any stressful situation. Bill carried that fun theme throughout his life, building a VW memorabilia collection, drawing and playing ball with grandchildren, always improvising to make up games to challenge one another, and even hunting for treasures with his metal detector.

Bill attended Kelly High School in Chicago. Later, he was drafted into the Army and served from 1970, being honorably discharged two years later in 1972. He was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia. Always missing his hometown, Bill left the fort every weekend he could, making the trip back home to Chi-Ca-Go in his VW bug. These trips had consequences and Bill was properly disciplined for it. However, that did not stop him from repeating the offense. After discharge from the Army, he opened a Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant in Chicago. Bill also dabbled in running a bar, a clothing store, and owning an art gallery. In 1979, he met Christine Pyter and fell madly in love with her. They were married June 13, 1981.

Together, they raised three daughters: Jill (Brant) Deichmann, Kelly (Eliot Edwards) Baltazar, and Alexandra Culver. Bill was extremely proud of their daughters. He taught them all to be independent and that “Boys are bad!” Later he lovingly gave his sons-in-law a slap on the back because “I know you did something wrong.” It became a way of saying that you better treat our daughters well, and there became a mutual respect among them all.

In 1993, Bill, Chris, and the girls relocated to Wisconsin Dells and established the antique business Days Gone By, later expanding with Aluminum Display Case. Together, they successfully ran both businesses for 28 years. Bill also ran the antique market during Wo Zha Wa Days for 13 years and helped with Taste of the Dells & Chili Cookoff. Bill also enjoyed traveling in their RV and going on many family vacations.

Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2022 and shortly thereafter with Lewy Body Dementia. Bill was admitted to the Veteran’s Hospital in Madison and passed away there on August 15, 2025 at the age of 75 with his family by his side. A special thank you goes to all the nurses and doctors in the CLC Hospice Unit at the hospital. Their excellent care made this difficult time more bearable.

Bill is survived by his wife, Chris, and their three daughters. He is further survived by his siblings: Robert, Frank, Lawrence (Alice), Anthony, Arthur (Carolyn), Bertha (Walter), many nieces and nephews, and lifelong friends. He was predeceased by brothers Marshall, Edward, Joseph, sisters-in-law Margaret and Helen, and his mother, Hope.

Bill’s beloved grandchildren are: Stella Edwards, Benjamin and Joel Deichmann, and Carter and Kennedy Culver. They loved spending time with Grandpa or Pa as he was known by some.

A Celebration of Life will be held August 31, 2025 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please make a charitable contribution to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LEDA.org) or to Parkinson.org.

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

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