Gary Wille

Gary Wille, the best husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother-in-law, educator and storyteller, witnessed his final sunset and passed away peacefully in his sleep during the early morning hours of August 3, 2026. He was 79 years old.

Gary was born in Winona, Minnesota on April 24, 1947, to Helen and Del Wille. He was the older brother of the late Les Wille and uncle to Les’s son, Michael Wille.

He attended prep school in New Ulm, Minnesota, graduated from Dr. Martin Luther High School in 1965 and Dr. Martin Luther College in 1969. During those years, Gary embraced a passion for life and experiences; developing the storytelling abilities for which he would later become so well known. Along the way, he challenged professors, coaches, administrators and fellow students with his distinct Gary Wille style as he discovered he belonged at the front of a classroom.

In 1969, Gary was called to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Franklin, Wisconsin. There, “Mr. Wille” served as a teacher and principal for 44 years, until his retirement in 2013.

As Fred Wulff, the first principal Gary worked for, once told him, “Gary, you’ve got to be principal because you’re good, but you can’t work for anybody else. You’ll never make it.” Mr. Wulff would later describe Gary as a gifted, dedicated and innovative teacher who knew how to inspire students.

At St. Paul’s, Gary drove the bus, taught math and history, coached basketball, directed school plays and delivered graduation speeches that students remembered long after leaving his classroom. During his time as principal, St. Paul’s expanded its school and early-childhood programs. In 1994, he led the construction of a Child Care Center and school expansion. The new facilities were dedicated in June 1995, and by 1998 the school had reached an enrollment of 176 students.

With the help of teachers, parents, volunteers and congregation members, Gary had a way of making school experiences feel larger than life. St. Paul’s plays became must-see theater. Annual hugs at the Christmas programs became treasured traditions. Crafted underdog plays at basketball tournaments became March Madness moments. “Mr. Wille’s stories” appeared among students’ favorite memories yearbook after yearbook, and his graduation speeches became lessons they carried into adulthood.

Gary was inspired by the students, faculty members, volunteers, congregation members and families who supported St. Paul’s throughout his years there. He gave them his energy, his honesty and his belief that every student had something special to offer. One of his many gifts was making each student feel that he knew them, believed in them and expected something meaningful from them. For many families, his influence and stories extended across multiple generations..

Gary’s own life experiences often found their way into the lessons and stories he shared. He hitchhiked across the country, backpacked through national parks and spent a summer working on a kibbutz in Israel. He climbed mountains, traveled the world, loved his family, obsessed about coaching, mastered camping, observed history, directed plays, taught generations of students, beat cancer and brought out the best in the people around him. He was curious, determined and never afraid to challenge an idea, even if that resulted in an “ohh geez” head scratch.

Above all, Gary loved his big extended family. He reminded them how much they mean to one another. His spirit, stories and lessons live on through his wife of 53 years, Karen Wille; his sons, Jeremiah and his wife, Celia; Jordan and his wife, Cathy; and Sean and his wife, Deanna; and his grandchildren, Julia, Madeline, Claire, Adalina and Enzo.

He deeply loved his grandchildren and cherished sharing the stories of his journeys and the lessons he learned along the way with them.

In retirement, Gary and Karen made their home at a cabin in the woods in Garden, Michigan. There, they enjoyed hikes together along “Karen’s Walk,” while Gary made time to read, write, appreciate the beauty of the natural world around him and watch the sunset each day with Karen.

Gary once offered a lesson that reflected the way he approached his own life:

“Live your life, and celebrate your life because of all the gifts God has given you.”

A celebration of life will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Franklin, WI on Thursday August 13 at 4pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be considered for organizations and causes that impacted Gary’s life:

The National Bone Marrow Transplant Link https://bonemarrow.org/about/

The International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation https://iwmf.com/ways-to-give/

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School https://www.stpaulsfranklin.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=180015651