William Chatterton

Maple Bluff - William A. "Bill" Chatterton. Age 85. Died peacefully on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.
Bill was born Oct. 12, 1926 in Madison, the son of George and Grace Chatterton. He leaves behind his loving wife Jean of 54 years, four daughters, Amy Robinson (Scott) of Columbia, MD, Anne Palmer (David) of Chicago, IL, Mary Besozzi (Jay) of Torrington, CT and Grace Heyden (Jeff) of Chicago, IL; along with eight grandchildren, James, Katherine, Andrew, Quentin, Laura, Alexandra, John and Mia.
Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II serving in California and Hawaii in the Navy Air Corps. Following the war he graduated in 1949 from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science degree and with a law degree in 1951. He was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar in 1951 and established a private practice as Chatterton Law Offices, then Ross and Chatterton, and later Chatterton and Griffith. He practiced law continuously until his death. He was a member of the American Bar Association and was a board member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Section. Since 1965 he served as the Chapter 12 & 13 trustee for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Bill always had an interest in global affairs and history. He traveled to Europe in 1956 to attend an international Bar Association meeting in Norway and established personal and professional relationships that continue to this day. As the Soviet Union began to collapse, he used his expertise in property law to support the efforts of the newly freed countries of Albania and Macedonia. He traveled to these countries under a University of Wisconsin Land Tenure Center program and worked with UW professionals to establish new property laws. Bill and Jean, often with kids in tow, traveled the world from France to China. Their last major adventure to Europe occurred just after 9/11 to visit close friends when many others decided not to travel.
He was an active member of Grace Episcopal Church since 1953 and served as Secretary of the Grace Fund used to maintain the Historical Grace Church building. Bill was a lifelong fan of the Badger football team and began attending UW games in the 1930s through good times and bad. He was never as happy as when he attended the Badgers 1994 Rose Bowl victory after a 31 year hiatus. Active in civic life, Bill was board member, Village attorney, and president of the Village of Maple Bluff. He was a founding member of the Maple Bluff volunteer fire department and served as the Emergency Medical Service board chairman for 20 years. In 2011, the Village of Maple Bluff dedicated and named Chatterton Pond in honor of his many years of service to the neighborhood where he lived for 85 years. He also was President of the Dane County Mental Health Association and worked to create the first half-way houses for the mentally ill in the County.
A memorial service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, 116 West Washington Avenue, Tuesday, July 31 at 10 AM.
Memorials can be made to the Grace Episcopal Church Grace Fund, 116 West Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703, or to the UW Foundation - William A. Chatterton Memorial Fund, and mailed to US Bank Lockbox 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278. This fund will support scholarships for the football program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. GO BADGERS!