William Strang

William "Bill" Allen Strang, age 76, of Madison, Wisconsin, died Wednesday September 3, 2014 at St. Mary's Hospital following a long battle with heart disease. Bill was born September 23, 1937 in Richland Center, Wisconsin, the son of Allen Strang and Alice (Parfrey) Strang.

He is survived by his wife Audrey, son Tim, daughter Julie, grandchildren Marlee, Alex, Lauren, Nicolas, and Ryan. He is further survived by his sister Betsy Willis and her husband Bob, and their sons Bob, Brad, Bill, and Mike.

He is preceded in death by his parents Allen Strang and Alice (Parfrey) Strang, and dear friends George Brieske, Joe Londsdorf, and Gale Shaw.

Bill was a Badger through and through. He graduated from UW- Madison with a bachelor of Business Administration in June 1959, Master of Business Administration in January 1961 and completed his PhD in Marketing in January 1967. At 623 pages, he had the longest dissertation on record at the time which was lovingly typed by his devoted wife. He taught Marketing at UW-Madison from 1963- 1979 and was Associate Dean for External Relations from April 1983 until his retirement in1999.

Bill had been married to his lovely wife Audrey for an adventure-filled 49 years. He proposed on Pebble Beach in Sister Bay, Door County, and they were married on September 4, 1965.

The adoption of his son, Tim, and birth of his daughter, Julie, brought much joy to Bill. He felt doubly blessed to welcome his daughter-in-law, Jennifer Spruit, and son-in-law, Brian Henige, to his family. He was further blessed to welcome his five adored grandchildren whose antics brought much joy to Bill over the last few years.

Through his time at the university and in retirement, Bill and Audrey enjoyed travel throughout the world. This included trips to South America, China, and Europe. Family vacations included trips to Canada, Florida, Arizona, and Door County. He loved to fish and his trips of portaging into Canada were among his favorite memories. Playing golf in Door County with his wife Audrey was an annual tradition. He followed the UW basketball team for over 40 years and was former president of the Badger Basketball Boosters. He was able to retire at the age of 62 and enjoyed playing golf with Audrey, spending time with family, following UW sports, enjoying shows at the Overture, and reading.

Professionally, his proudest accomplishments were his role in the creation and development of the Fluno Center and his role as chairman of the building committee for Grainger Hall. He also took pride in his economic impact studies, his 10-year forecasts of Wisconsin's economy, and his service to the Wisconsin Economic Development Commission.

Bill had a love of animals his whole life. He will be greeted at heavens gates by his dogs Pat, Dutchess, Bunker, Chico, DeDe, and Tasha. Phoebe, a five-year-old schnoodle, is their current "child" and will bring Audrey great comfort in the difficult days ahead.

Bill will be sorely missed by his family, friends, neighbors, and former colleagues. He left a legacy with the UW Madison School of Business, and the love he shared with his family and friends will live on long after his passing. He was a wonderful husband, father, and friend. Thanks to all for the outpouring of support and love.


Visitation will be from 1:00 PM until 2:45 PM on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 6101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 with Pastor Harold Zimmick presiding. A Memorial Service will follow visitation at 3:00 PM on Sunday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to either the Dane County Humane Society (5132 Voges Road, Madison, WI 53718) or Agrace HospiceCare (5395 East Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53711.).