William Carl Althans

William Carl Althans, age 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 25, 2022, in Manhattan, Montana, surrounded by his loving and devoted family. Bill (as he liked to be called) was born November 7, 1934, in Cuyahoga County and raised in Gates Mills, Ohio. He was the second of two children of the late Mildred Bernice (Bartels) and Carl William Althans. After graduating from University School in Shaker Heights, he attended and graduated from the College of William & Mary (class of ‘57). He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity as well as a student athlete. It was in this quaint college town of Williamsburg where he met his future bride and the love of his life of 64 years, Judy Carling (class of ‘59)!

Among his many undertakings, his career as a sales distributor for Piper aircraft was outstanding. His huge passion for flying enabled him to pursue his love of travel. Bill was a genuine family man at heart whose world centered around his wife and their three children. His larger-than-life personality was reflected in his array of hobbies. Whether it was spending winter weekends skiing on the slopes at HoliMont with family, summers on the Outer Banks in Hatteras, or numerous seasonal hunting trips, he always knew how to make a good time better! Knowing Bill, he always thought he needed to be somewhere other than where he was…in a hurry!!

Bill never met a stranger. He was a man with a sharp mind, sharper eyes, quick wit and a quick comeback. He had a huge close circle of friends throughout his amazing life who unanimously nicknamed him “Wild Bill”. He strongly believed that life was meant to be fun. His love of people, storytelling, predictable jokes, and contagious laugh are already terribly missed. We find comfort in imagining him now at peace flying a Piper Cub, driving a Jeep wherever four-wheel drive could take him, gathering the family for a big reunion, or sitting in a duck blind waiting patiently…always with his black Labrador by his side! He was more than a father, a son, a mentor, a friend, a husband…he is our hero!

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Judith Carling Althans, and his daughter, Kimberly Althans Thomas. Survivors include his son, William Carl Althans, Jr. (Diane); daughter, Suzanne Althans Baldrick (Stephen); son-in-law, Reid Lambert Thomas; brother-in-law, James Richard Carling (Katharine); grandchildren, William James Althans (Lilia), Carl William Althans (Katherine), Jordan William Baldrick (Diane), Andrew Stephen Baldrick (Theoni), Carling Hannah Baldrick, and Samuel Reid Thomas; and five amazing great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held to honor his spirit at The River Road South Cemetery in Gates Mills, Ohio, in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 612 Jamestown Road, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185.