William "Bill" Lamm

William Lamm of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, died at his home on September 13, 2023. His life was characterized by service to his family, his church, his community, and his country.

Bill was the son of William G. Lamm and Sylvia (Krause) Lamm of Milwaukee. He grew up attending Lutheran schools. He then studied literature and classics at University of Wisconsin–Madison, graduating in 1952. There he met Carol Bergmann and they were married on July 10, 1955.

After college, he attended Officer Candidate School and served as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy for 27 years. He completed eight sea duty tours on destroyers, minesweepers, and cruisers, culminating in his assignment as the Commanding Officer for the commissioning of the USS Knox, the first ship in a new class of frigates. He also served as the Commanding Officer of the Service School Command at Great Lakes Naval Training Center.

After his naval career he worked at Aid Association for Lutherans (now Thrivent) as a general agent and then as an executive in Appleton.

Over the course of their 63-year-long marriage, Bill and Carol lived in many different locations across the United States. In each place that they lived, being involved in the church and in the community were focal points for Bill. He served on the school board in North Chicago. In Appleton he served on the board of Leaven, a volunteer organization to assist people in crisis. He was a member of Rotary, served on the board of the Fox Valley Symphony, and was a founding member of the Oconomowoc Performing Arts Council, which worked to establish the Oconomowoc Arts Center. He served on the board of Shorehaven, a faith-based senior community, and he was a longtime member at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. He was most proud of his efforts in Cleveland in a faith-based organization to serve human needs in the community. His work to unify multiple churches in service was honored by the organization in a Peacemaker Award.

Bill had a strong faith, and he greatly valued education, and he imparted these values to his family. He is survived by three children, Claudia (Jeff) Wood, Paula (Doug) Kopp, and Christopher (Maureen) Lamm, and eight grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, John (Patricia) Lamm. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Carol Bergmann Lamm. His family cherishes his patient guidance and strong example of a life well lived.

The family expresses their gratitude to his selfless and compassionate caregiving team, to the dedicated staff of Shorehaven, and to Agrace Hospice for their devotion and loving care for Bill.

Services will be held in the Shorehaven Chapel, 1305 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on September 30 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation is at 1:00 p.m. and a reception follows the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Bill’s honor to St. Marcus Lutheran School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Interment is private.