William Bakken

Obituary of William Bakken William "Bill" George Bakken, 72, The Villages, FL, died Sunday, December 2, 2012 at The Villages Hospice House, The Villages, FL. He was born August 19, 1940 in Madison, WI to Edward and Marjorie (Levenick) Bakken. After high school he married Mira Armstrong and had two children, Rene` and Kristi. Bill attended UW Platteville. In order to support his family he left school in 1962 to work as a City of Madison firefighter. In 1966 he transferred to the City of Madison Building Inspection Division. During his tenure, Bill worked for eight Madison mayoral administrations. Bill retired in 1998 as the Director of Building Inspection. He moved to The Villages, FL with Sharon Karnes Armstrong. In 2005, he and Sharon said their "I do's" before God, friends and family. Bill was known for his strong commitment to family, friends and his community. Taking time to chat with everyone he met was something he enjoyed no matter where he was. Big Brothers, Habitat For Humanity and Fishing Has No Boundaries are a few of the organizations Bill served as a volunteer. He was always willing to help those in need, problem solve, and fix most anything. Bill was a member of Lakeview Lutheran Church (Madison), North Lake Presbyterian Church (Florida), Freemasons, and Elks. Bill is survived by his wife, Sharon; two daughters: Rene` and her husband Garry Puzach; Kristi Bakken and her partner Dr. Sylvia Dolinski; his brother Jim and his partner Nancy Jacobson; his grandchildren, Ryan Lee, Rachel Lee, Erik Puzach, Libby Puzach; his great granddaughter Adelynn Dawson; brother-in-law Bryan Karnes and his wife Pam, along with many nieces and nephews. Bill, affectionately known as "Moose", wished to thank the staff and volunteers at The Villages Hospice House for the compassionate care given to him. A memorial service will be held Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at North Lake Presbyterian Church, 975 Rolling Acres Rd, Lady Lake, FL. A visitation will be held Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. at Lakeview Lutheran Church, 4001 Mandrake Road, Madison, WI. A luncheon will be held immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, he asked that you consider a contribution to The Villages Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, FL 32162 and/or Lakeview Lutheran Chapel Endowment Fund, Madison, WI. Visitation A visitation will be held Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. at Lakeview Lutheran Church, 4001 Mandrake Road, Madison, WI. A luncheon will be held immediately following the service. Services A memorial service will be held Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at North Lake Presbyterian Church, 975 Rolling Acres Rd, Lady Lake, FL. Memorial Donations In lieu of flowers, he asked that you consider a contribution to The Villages Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, FL 32162 and/or Lakeview Lutheran Chapel Endowment Fund, Madison, WI.

William Bakken

August 19, 1940 - December 2, 2012