William "Bill" Tryba

William “Bill” Tryba Obituary

William "Bill" Tryba was born to his earthly life on August 30, 1927, in the town of Albin in Portage County to Felix and Mary (Kuklinski) Tryba. He entered his eternal rest on July 31, 2026 at the age of 98, at Weston Memory Care in Weston, under the care of Interim Healthcare of Wausau.

William married Alice Modrzejewski on October 16, 1948 at St. Ladislaus Catholic Church in Bevent. They had 68 years together before she preceded him in death on August 23, 2017.

William is survived by three daughters: Marlene (David) Zoromski of Hatley; Elaine Haas of Wausau, and Cynthia (Kenneth) Milbeck of Rib Mountain. He is survived by eight grandchildren: Kevin (Kristy) Zoromski, Sara (Ryan Cronce), Benjamin, and Matthew Zoromski; Gregory (Becki) and Daniel Tryba; Leah (Tyler) Wipperfurth and Ryan (Krysta) Milbeck. Additional survivors include four step-grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and 13 step-great grandchildren. He is also survived by a step sister, Joyce Downs; sister-in-law, Mary Goytowski; daughter-in-law, Joanie Tryba; goddaughter, Lori Follmann; and godson, Michael Tryba.

In addition to Alice and his parents, William was preceded in death by his in-laws, Leo and Martha Modrzejewski; two sons, Kenneth and Jerome; two grandsons, Scott and Jason Zoromski; one step-granddaughter, Victoria Ladwig; daughter-in-law, Sue Tryba; son-in-law, Donald Haas; a goddaughter, Edna Brandt and his three younger brothers, James, Gabriel and George.

William attended Simonis and St. Albert Catholic schools. He was self-taught in many trades. After completing only a sixth-grade education, he learned welding, masonry, electrical and plumbing work, and was an avid carpenter, having built and remodeled several homes in the Wausau area. His proudest achievement besides his family was the home he and Alice built in 1962.

Bill was happiest outdoors—fishing, hunting, tending his two vegetable gardens, or sitting on a stool in his back garage tinkering. He often spoke of how lucky he was to have enjoyed many years of retirement. He was proud of the many family vacations taken each summer and of the cottage he built near Crandon.

In his early years, William worked at a sawmill, and he and Alice farmed in the Rosholt area until 1956, when they moved to Wausau. William worked at LOED Corp (formerly Wausau Iron Works) from 1956–1983. He then worked at SNE from 1985 until his retirement in 1990.

William will be missed by his daughters, extended family, and friends, especially Jerry Literski, Ken Zipperer and Jim Lang.

Visitation will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, Wausau on Monday, August 10, 2026 from 9:30am until the time of service, with the assist of Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home. The Mass celebration of William’s life will be at 11:00am, followed by lunch at the church. A private family Entombment will be held at the Memorial Chapel Mausoleum at Restlawn Memorial Park in Wausau.

William’s family would like to extend a huge thank you to the exceptional team of caregivers at Interim Healthcare, especially Joleen, Malayna, Makayla, Wendy, Amanda, Chaplain Dennis, and Mary as well as Kyle, Autumn, and Ginger at Weston Memory Care.