Racine – William Jon Nelson, age 58, passed away peacefully, surrounded with the love of his family, early Tuesday morning, May 19, 2026 following a brave 2-year battle with cancer. A true warrior, he never let the cancer get the best of him, trying to live life to the fullest…right until the very end.

William was born in Racine, WI on September 20, 1967 to James M. and Jewell (nee: Phetteplace) Nelson. He was a 1985 graduate of Washington Park High School. While at Park, Bill met the love of his life, Deborah "Debbie" Lynn Alton. They were united in marriage on October 19, 1985 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church. Always wishing for a vacation in Hawaii, Bill & Deb fulfilled this dream by celebrating their 40 ^th Anniversary on the island of Maui last year.  Another dream fulfilled last year was the trip to Disney World with his family.

Bill, known as "Willie" by his co-workers, worked as a machinist / CNC programmer for nearly 40 years, with the last 8 being at Materion Advanced Materials in Milwaukee. Some of his favorite things were deer hunting with the crew in Ft. McCoy, elk hunting in Colorado , fishing, traveling, camping, golfing, hiking – especially rim to rim of the Grand Canyon, trap shooting, annual family trips to Manitowish Waters, woodworking, camp fires – where he earned the nickname "Fire Marshall Bill", bowling – had two 300 games, an occasional Bacardi & Coke, and relaxing on the beaches of Florida.  He was a devoted fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers. In recent years, Bill absolutely loved being a grandpa……he loved it and fulfilled the role well.

Surviving are his loving wife of 40 years, Deborah; daughter, Jennifer (Matt) Maier; son, Eric (Jenny) Nelson; adored granddaughters, Ellie, Chloe & Lily Maier; Nora & Charlotte Nelson; dad, James M. Nelson; sisters, Cathy Nelson and Peggy (Dave) Bolle; brothers, Tim (Sue) Nelson and Jeff (Desiree) Nelson; sister-in-law, Terri (Rich) Jarvis; brothers-in-law, David (Sue) Alton and Tim (Jenny) Alton; nieces, nephews, other relatives, co-workers and many, many friends – too numerous to mention all by name.

Bill was preceded in death by his mom, Jewell Nelson; brother, Dennis Nelson; Debbie's parents, Joseph and Christine (nee: Schaetten) Alton; and by his beloved grandparents.

Services celebrating Bill's life will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 12:00 noon in Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home. A memorial luncheon will follow. Viewing will be in the funeral home on Saturday, May 30 ^th , from 10 am -12 noon.  In memory of Bill, offer a kind deed to someone in need.

A heartfelt note of thanks to our wonderful family & friends for all of the support you have given us during this past 2-year journey. Also, thank you to the devoted teams at Ascension All Saints Cancer Center and Heartland Hospice (especially Kyla Lowman, RN) for the compassionate care given in Bill's time of need. May God continue to bless all of you!