William Ubbink

William J. Ubbink, 76, of Sherwood, and formerly of Random Lake, Saukville and Port Washington, died at Theda Care Regional Medical Center in Neenah on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Mr. Ubbink was born in Milwaukee on May 4, 1942, to Arnold and Marjorie Hoff Ubbink. He was raised in Port and graduated from Port Washington High School in 1961.

Mr. Ubbink served as an aircraft mechanic with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967 before returning to school and earning his associate degree in respiratory care from Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee.

In 2017 he was listed on the Port High’s Wall of Honor for his military service.  

On July 14, 1973, Mr. Ubbink married Donna Stephan at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Port Washington.  

The couple lived in Saukville before moving to Random Lake.

Mr. Ubbink worked as a respiratory care practitioner at St. Joseph Hospital in West Bend until his retirement.

In 2017, the couple moved to Sherwood, just outside High Cliff State Park.

Mr. Ubbink was called “Bronco” by family and friends because he was a cowboy at heart and had the soul of a poet, his family said. He was a gun aficionado who painted, drew, did metal and leather work and wrote poetry and love letters to his wife.

Mr. Ubbink played the stumpfiddle for the band  “The Fun Stumpers.” He also enjoyed watching movies, taking walks in the woods and riding motorcycles.  He loved to tell jokes and going on adventures with his grandson and best friend Brennen.   

Mr. Ubbink was a member of Portview Church, the Landt-Thiel American Legion Post 470 and the Sheboygan Marine Corps League.

Mr. Ubbink is survived by his wife Donna of Sherwood; daughter Jodi (fiancé Brian Athey) Ubbink of Kaukauna; grandson Brennen Athey; and sister Andrea  “Sandy” Meyer of Graham, Wash.  

He is further survived by brothers-in-law Donald Stephan Jr. of Saukville, Larry Block of Port Washington and Buck Stephan (partner Audrey Emerson) of Batavia; sisters-in-law Barbara Stephan of Saukville and Diane Block of Port Washington

He was preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Donald Sr. and Connie Stephan, sister-in-law Darlene Schmit Faust and brother-in-law Don Meyer.

Funeral services with military honors took place Sunday, Dec. 30, at Eernisse Funeral Home in Port Washington. The Rev. Mark Larson presided.  

Interment was at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove.