William Antony

William "Bill" Lee Antony, age 85, of Houston, Texas (formerly of La Crosse and Bangor, Wisconsin), passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, surrounded by his family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, 2006 Weston Street, La Crosse. A visitation will be held at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. Private interment will follow at Catholic Cemetery in La Crosse.

Bill was born on August 16, 1939, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Lawrence William Antony and Frances Irene (Vogel) Antony. He spent most of his early childhood on a dairy farm in Dutch Creek, attending a one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade. In the 1950s, his family moved to Bangor, where he graduated from Bangor High School in 1957. He remained close with many of his classmates for the rest of his life.

After high school, Bill served honorably as a Yeoman Second Class in the United States Navy aboard the U.S.S. George Clymer, a troop transport ship in the Pacific. His service took him through Asia and deepened his lifelong curiosity about places and people.

When he returned home, Bill met Jo Ann Fuenger on a blind date. They married on April 18, 1964, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Onalaska, beginning a marriage marked by humility, humor, and devotion that lasted 56 years until Jo Ann’s passing in 2020. Jo Ann, a Northside La Crosse native and graduate of Onalaska High School, was a faithful and loving partner who shared Bill’s deep commitment to family. Together, Bill and Jo Ann built a home filled with grace, laughter, and steadfast presence—their love a quiet constant in the lives of all who knew them.

In 2021, Bill made the bold decision to move to Houston to be near his daughter and grandchildren. He loved his hip apartment in The Montrose neighborhood—just a short walk from his daughter Jennifer, son-in-law Jarrett, and his beloved granddaughters Harper, Esther, and Astrid.

Bill worked for 42 years at Trane Company in La Crosse, forming lifelong friendships with colleagues who became like family. In retirement, he pursued his love of baseball by volunteering for Jay Buckley Baseball Tours, through which he visited nearly every Major League Baseball park in the country and created stories he laughed about until his final days. Whether it was youth girls’ volleyball, Bangor and Aquinas high school sports, UWL Football, Rice University baseball, the Packers, Badgers, Cubs, or PGA, NFL, NCAA and MLB games on TV—Bill watched it all with astounding interest, encyclopedic recall, and unwavering joy. He spent countless hours in the stands watching his grandnephew, Andrew Lockington, and grandniece, Ashlie Lockington, excel in multiple sports for Bangor High School. He was always proud to tell a new friend on a Buckley trip or a stranger at a sports bar about Andrew and Ashlie’s athletic and academic success, which, of course, always included mentions of Ashlie’s track scholarship to Winona State University.

But his true passion was family. After moving to Houston, Bill never missed a granddaughter’s sporting event, dance recital, horse show, school program, or even a last-minute living room performance at 9 p.m. while intending to head home. A constant seeker, he walked at least five miles a day until just months before his passing, often to or from a game, Mass, or neighborhood haunt. The typical sights and sounds on a common street were never too trivial to interest him. His gentle soul, deep curiosity, and easy companionship made him a beloved figure everywhere he went—from the end stool at the Village Inn in Bangor to the sidewalks of Houston and Los Angeles.

Bill’s love for his daughter Jennifer was deep and unwavering. The definitive “girl dad,” he proudly broke from the regularities of his peers—who were busy attending their sons’ summer baseball games—to travel with Jo Ann to Los Angeles year after year, living out of a hotel so Jennifer could pursue an exclusive advanced summer dance institution. Their bond was singular. From the day she left for college in 1995 until his final days, Bill sent Jennifer weekly letters—each one tucked with a $20 bill and a glimpse into the recent days back home. Even after moving just down the road from Jennifer’s home in Houston, he continued the tradition, mailing letters back to her from La Crosse during his visits several times a year. Bill was her anchor, her confidant, her historian, and her daily joy.

Bill was a humble servant of God, rarely missing a Mass in person or on his iPad, and his quiet faith affected everyone around him. He appreciated the little things—a perfect sinker slung by a Cub pitcher, the morning light on a sidewalk, sunsets at the lake and in New Mexico, a well-crafted regional beer—and taught his family the value of presence, patience, and perspective. And he loved dogs—so much so he never failed to reward pleading eyes with a walk, even in 95-degree humidity.

He is survived by his daughter Jennifer (Jarrett) Ellzey, granddaughters Harper, Esther, and Astrid Ellzey, brother Douglas Antony (and significant other, Ardis Aagard), sister Patricia Meyer, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family, including: Todd Antony, Matt Antony (Janise), Cassie (Dwight) Monson, Syndey (Andrew) LaVallee, Tyler Antony, Ryan Antony (Angela), James and Leo Antony, Brendan Antony (Emily), Logan and Brady Antony, Stacy Foerster (and significant other, David Kanthak), Landon and Cole Foerster, Jamie Lockington (Ryan), Andrew Lockington (and fiancé, Mary Arnold), Ashlie Lockington (and significant other, Brock Venner), Scott Meyer, Sean Meyer (and significant other, Rachel Johnson), Evan and Adam Meyer, Karen De Rose (Russell), Jonathan De Rose (Christina), and Anne Marie De Rose. He was deeply devoted to his sister Patty’s farm near Rockland, where many family Thanksgivings were spent, and where his presence will be profoundly missed.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife Jo Ann, his parents, his in-laws Harold and Evelyn Fuenger, his brother Larry Antony, brother-in-law David Meyer, sister-in-law Patricia Antony, nephew Robert De Rose, great-niece Evelin Meyer, and other cherished loved ones.

The family is grateful for the compassionate care provided by Houston Hospice and to the many friends, neighbors, and strangers who enriched Bill’s final years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, or Houston Hospice.

To know Bill Antony was to witness a life of intention, integrity, and love. Bill is a first-ballot entry into the Dad Hall of Fame.