August 26, 1939 – January 6, 2026
William J. Greathouse, 86, of Kenosha, WI, passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Born on August 26, 1939, in Kenosha, WI, he was the son of the late Herschel and Alice (Thomas) Greathouse.
Bill started working at American Motors, and that is where he met Geri Potenziani in 1958. They later married, after several years of dating, on October 19, 1963, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii Parish in Kenosha. Bill continued working for American Motors until it transitioned to Chrysler, where he eventually became the head of the fleet distribution department.
After retiring from Chrysler, Bill worked for Leitch Printing, and he also very much enjoyed spending years working as a coordinator between the KUSD and the Carpenters Union, where students learned how to build homes from the ground up.
He was a man of many hats. He loved his bowling league at Surfside Bowl, and he was a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers. Bill’s main passion was auto racing, and he eventually shared that passion with his son Jeff. Bill attended the Indianapolis 500 from 1959 until 2020, and his son joined that tradition in 1982. Bill also enjoyed taking many vacations with his wife to Disney World, and they later shared their Disney passion with his son, daughter-in-law, and their grandchild.
Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Geri; only son, Jeff (Pam); grandchild, Samuel (Michael) Stein; siblings, Joyce (Don) Stella and Donna Wilder; brother-in-law, Raymond (Mary Lou) Potenziani; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
A memorial visitation will be held at Proko Funeral Home on Friday, January 16, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. until the time of service at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be held privately at Sunset Ridge Memorial Park.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of William, please visit our Tree Store.
Events
Visitation
Friday, January 16, 2026
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street, KENOSHA, WI 53144
Service
Friday, January 16, 2026
2:00 pm
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street, KENOSHA, WI 53144
Officiant: Pastor Cindy Aasen
Final Resting Place
Sunset Ridge Memorial Park
4300 Green Bay Road, Kenosha, WI 53144
