William Dorsay Lathrop Jr.

William Dorsay Lathrop Jr., 85, of La Crosse, died on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at his home. He was born to William Dempsey and Rose (Oldenburg) Lathrop Sr. on April 1, 1935 at St. Anne’s Hospital and he always said the joke was on his mother because of his April 1 ^st birthday. Bill spent his childhood in La Crescent and was drafted in the Korean War in 1954. He had worked as a meat cutter at Quillins and Skogens for over 50 years and also processed deer in his basement, processing up to 400 deer a season from 1965 – 2012. Bill married Judy Wells in 1958 and they divorced in 1976. He married the love of his life Mary Knutson Varsek in 1984. Bill was a member of the Meat Cutters Association, La Crescent Knights of Columbus and the American Legion and VFW. He also served on the Franklin PTA in 1967 and was a Cub Scout leader in 1970. Bill enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting turkey and ducks, and many trips up north fishing. Bill’s mother always said she had her baseball team plus one cheerleader as Bill was the oldest of nine boys and one girl.

He is survived by his wife Mary, his children, William (Dorothy) Lathrop III, Kathy (Mark) Miskovic, Brian (Shelly) Lathrop, step-children, Jerry (Andrea) Knutson, Cindy Knutson, and Denise (Ron Lichtie) Fisher, five grandchildren, Eric Knutson, Adam Knutson, Christopher Fisher, Mark Miskovic Jr., and Lindsay Miskovic, one great-grandson Harrison Miskovic, four brothers, Jack (Janice), Dan (Carol), Joe (Lumi), and Steve (Kathie), one sister Sue (Don) Melster, a sister-in-law Sid Lathrop, and his beloved companion, his dog Misha. He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers, Kenneth, Michael, Ned and Larry.

Private family services will be held at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral & Cremation Services of La Crescent. Burial with military honors will follow in the Crucifixion Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse or the La Crosse Humane Society. A Celebration of Life for Bill will be held at a later date and will be announced by the funeral home.