William "Bill" Byrne

SOMERSET & VIOLA, WI – Bill Byrne, age 71, passed away suddenly May 15, 2024, at his ‘trout fishing’ home near the Kickapoo River in the Vernon County city of Viola.

Bill was born in Elmhurst, Illinois on May 24, 1952, to Andrew & Mary (Bockman) Byrne. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Elm Grove, Wisconsin, where he later graduated from Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha. Bill played on area soccer and basketball teams and created lifelong friendships with fishing and hunting buddies during this time. Bill attended school at University of Wisconsin-Waukesha and University of Wisconsin -River Falls, where he majored in Journalism and Geography. In 1991, Bill married Jane E. Novy in River Falls, Wisconsin and shortly after, they moved to their home on Depot Street in Somerset, Wisconsin. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jane; and brothers, Patrick and Timothy. He is survived by siblings, Daniel, Elizabeth, Andrew, Thomas, Michael and John; sisters-in-law, Micaela and Roberta; niece, Lara; and nephews Mitchell, Bockman, Drew and Liam. Bill is also survived by brothers-in-law, Ralph and Matt Novy, and their children, many still living in the Hillsboro, Wisconsin area, where his wife Jane grew up at the Novy family farm on Pine Hill Road.

Everyone who met Bill quickly realized his great love of the outdoors, and his earliest fishing may have been with a stick, a string, and a safety pin in a street puddle. His knowledge of Wisconsin lakes and streams was encyclopedic, supplemented by decades of hunting and trapping across the state. Autumn trips to Iowa and South Dakota for pheasant hunting and even more fishing in Minnesota would give the Wisconsin species a short rest. Bill was an avid, life-long golfer, and enjoyed camping, X-C skiing, and betting on the horses at Canterbury Park. He followed the Packers and Badgers, attending games in Madison and Green Bay, and traveled out to Pasadena for the 1999 Rose Bowl victory. He especially enjoyed attending Viking and Gopher games in Minneapolis when they played their two Wisconsin rivals. After Bill and Jane purchased part of the Novy family farm, he began harvesting and selling firewood and they grew vegetables for sale at markets around Hillsboro and Somerset. Bill and Jane produced maple syrup from their woods, and he later became an enthusiastic vegetable and fruit canner. He also had a special fondness for Vilas County, visiting with friends in St. Germain and Boulder Junction.

Bill worked in a variety of industries, including construction, journalism, manufacturing, landscaping, and retail sales. His managers prized Bill’s effort and dedication, yet Bill often passed up opportunities to advance if he felt the promotion would reduce his time in the outdoors. Bill would not put off the sweet things in life, waiting for a better occasion.

Rather, he was always ready to take advantage of something great right in front of him. Later in life, he treasured the work and pace of truck farming with his wife, and interacting with customers who purchased their maple syrup, vegetables and preserves at farmer’s markets.

Bill’s legacy will be the many people he introduced to the natural world he loved, especially his nieces and nephews. Always willing to take a youngster out boating, camping, fishing, or hunting, he was a patient mentor. He helped novices untangle hundreds of fishing lines, and could identify most trees, plants, and animals in our state, willingly sharing his woodcraft knowledge.

A Celebration of Life will be planned for later this summer. Bill’s family will notify all friends and relatives when the date is set. Online Condolences may be expressed at www.vossfh.com.

Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home & Crematory is serving Bill's family.

123 W. Decker St.

Viroqua, WI, 54665

608-637-2100