William “Bill” F. Heitl, 76, of Hortonville, passed away peacefully at home on February 10, 2026, after a year-long battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family. 

Bill was born on June 8, 1949, in Menasha to the late Fred and Lorraine (Jaskolski) Heitl. He was a 1968 graduate of Menasha High School. 

He spent 40 years as a dedicated machinist at Hafemeister Machine in Neenah. Bill also owned and operated the North Diamond Bar in Menasha for many years. After retirement, he worked as a handyman at the Special Memories Zoo. He then spent eight years at the doggy daycare at The Doghouse, a job he truly loved. The staff there was incredibly special to him and meant so much. 

In 1970, Bill married Barbara Tracy, with whom he shared two children: Dawn and Carl. In 1991, he married Kim Knoll, and in March they would have celebrated 35 years together. 

Bill cherished the outdoors, enjoying hunting and fishing. He and Kim shared many wonderful trips together, often joined by his daughter Dawn and grandson Joshua. He was a huge Milwaukee Brewers fan and loved watching their games, as well as Green Bay Packers games with his son Carl. Bill was a big animal lover and was well-known for his impressive model train setup in the basement. He was a Christmas fanatic and would light up the whole house during the holiday season. 

He is survived by his wife, Kim; daughter, Dawn (Allen) Heitl; son, Carl Heitl; grandson, Joshua Heitl: brother, Tom (Pam) Heitl; sister, Mary Ellen Heitl; sister-in-law, Kathy Heitl; sister-in-law, Victoria Bethke; brother-in-law, Roy (Julie) Knoll; stepmother-in-law, Rosie Knoll, and her children Randy (Julie), Dave (Tina), and Vicki (Jeff); many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends; and his beloved “furbabies,” Teddy and Sophie.

 Bill was preceded in death by his parents; mother- and father-in-law, Wayne and Karen Knoll; brother, Joseph Heitl; brother-in-law, Ron Knoll; and sister-in-law, Anne Knoll. 

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the Compassus Hospice team and family members for the compassionate care they provided Bill at the end. Special thanks to his sister Mary Ellen and niece Kristen for using their nursing skills and love to help care for Bill in his final days.

 A memorial service will be held at Laemmrich Funeral Home – 312 Milwaukee St, Menasha WI 54952. The visitation will be on February 24, 2026, from 10am – noon with a luncheon to follow.