William "Bill" Lloyd Bahr

William “Bill” Lloyd Bahr, age 67, of Madison, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, December 9, 2014. He was born on June 21, 1947, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Wilfred and Virginia (Kolar) Bahr. He married Barbara A. Schwaiger on August 12, 1978 at St. Mark Catholic Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Bill was a 1969 graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in History. Shortly after graduation, he began his career with the Kmart Corporation, where he worked in various Midwest locations for 28 years. He prided himself on never missing one day of work in all of those years. His longest assignment was store manager in Alton, Illinois where his children, Christine and Katie, enjoyed growing up. In 1999, Bill and his family relocated to Madison, Wisconsin. Even after multiple moves, Bill remained a loyal fan of Minnesota sports teams, including the Vikings, Gophers, and Twins. His love of history, especially military history, was lifelong. Extensive reading was his hobby and an outlet for him after long days at work. After retirement, his love of reading and research grew, and he had more time to share his wealth of knowledge with those around him. He strived to keep up with ever-changing technology, as well as remaining current with world issues and politics. Bill had two favorite times of the year; Spring and Christmas. He was always anxious to plant and landscape around his home. Decorating for Christmas and baking cookies were also some of his favorite hobbies. Bill is survived by his wife of 36 years, Barb; two daughters Christine (Kurt) Kelling of Madison and Katie Bahr of Verona, Wisconsin. He is also survived by his brother Mike (Susan) Bahr of Ashland, Oregon, his mother-in-law and sister-in-laws of Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his parents and father-in-law. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, at 11am on Tuesday, December 16, 2014. Visitation will be held at Gunderson Middleton Funeral Home 7435 University Avenue, Middleton from 5-7pm on Monday, December 15, 2014. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Bill’s name to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Wounded Warrior Project PO BOX 758517 Topeka, KS 66675, or the American Heart Association 2850 World Dairy Drive, Madison, WI 53718