Fitchburg - Wilbert Gilbert Ferry Jr., age 89, of Fitchburg, passed away on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Complete Care at Maple Grove in Madison. He was born in Green Bay, Wis., on Dec. 21, 1936, the son of Wilbert and Libby (Jadin) Ferry.

Will graduated from Central Catholic High School in Green Bay in 1955, then attended St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. A love of numbers and logic led to a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from St. Norbert College.

Will was proud of his military service to his country. His career stretched from his time in the JROTC in high school, the ROTC in college, and service in the United States Army National Guard Reserve in the 32nd Infantry Division from 1959 through 1965.

While working for A.C. Nielsen’s food and drug division in Green Bay, Will met and fell in love with a young schoolteacher, Margaret (Fandel) Ferry. On August 6, 1966, they were married at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Ladysmith, Wis. Over the following decade, they had seven children, three girls and four boys, born as they moved around Wisconsin, going from Green Bay to Schofield, finally ending up in the Madison suburb of Fitchburg.

It was at A.C. Nielsen that he discovered his aptitude for math was a perfect lead-in to becoming one of the first-generation computer programmers. He recalled using FORTRAN and punch cards on computer systems at various insurance companies, including CUNA Mutual Insurance in Madison, from where he retired in 1999 after working with them for over 20 years. (We recall him bringing huge boxes of old punch cards home for use as scrap paper and in art projects.)

Will enjoyed being a father of seven-for he found ready competitors and participants among his kids to support his enthusiasm for cards and board games; his favorite had to have been cribbage--he was lucky enough to score a perfect 29-point hand (it made the newspaper!). On trips to the beloved lakeside family cottage, he used his love of fishing to teach his sleepy kids patience and perseverance, going out at the crack of dawn to wait and wait to catch that huge muskie. There always was next time!

As his crowded, sport-memorabilia filled basement attests, Will loved bringing his family to games to root for all the local home teams-the Milwaukee Braves (then Brewers), the UW teams, especially Women’s Volleyball. He was a proud shareholder and longtime season ticketholder for the Green Bay Packers-he and Margaret attended many a game together as true green-‘n-gold Packer Backers. His interest in sports led him to run tournament pools for his coworkers and family, meticulously hand-designing the flyers. Interestingly, this led him to the art of calligraphy, and then creating and designing hundreds of personalized birthday cards for his family and friends over the years.

Will not only enjoyed watching sports, but he also loved to participate in them. He was the pitcher and captain of many softball teams, an avid golfer and a long-time bowler. As he aged, he turned his competitive drive towards the Senior Olympics, winning and proudly boasting of his many gold medals in various track & field and card-playing events over many years.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus #4527 and a longtime member of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church, where he volunteered and sang in the funeral choir. In retirement, Will enjoyed traveling with Margaret, visiting Germany, Alaska, the Panama Canal and taking trips all around the US.

Will is survived by his children, Teresa (Mike) Mogensen, Joseph (Ketoria) Ferry, Gregory (Jen) Ferry, Robert (Tom) Ferry, Rebecca (Ryan) Fredrickson, Nicholas (Norma) Ferry and Kathleen Marty; 14 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers, Glen and Tom Ferry; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his wife, Margaret.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5313 Flad Ave., Madison, at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026, with Monsignor Kevin Holmes presiding. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass on Monday.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Knight of Columbus Council #4527, 5256 Verona Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Road
(608) 442-5002

Wilbert Gilbert Ferry Jr.

December 21, 1936 - August 02, 2026

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