William E. “Bill” Dotterweich of Chicago, formerly of Fort Wayne, IN, died peacefully in his sleep on September 14, 2025. A family service will be held at a later date.

Bill was born in 1936 in Jackson, Michigan and graduated from St. Mary High School and the University of Notre Dame. He attended Notre Dame on an NROTC Naval Scholarship and served four years in the Navy after graduation, including two years as an Engineering Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy.

After his Navy service, Bill embarked on a career in industry which led to the presidency of three different companies. During his career, he served on and was president of several industry associations, and was recipient of a number of awards. He was also active in parish affairs and Notre Dame alumni activities and twice received Notre Dame Man of the Year awards.

After retirement, Bill concentrated on service to poor and minority communities, and right-to-life activities. He helped his wife Peggy found the Christ Child Society of Fort Wayne, which provides clothing and other assistance to children of families in need. He established the Guardian Angel Society which provided tuition assistance to children attending Catholic grade schools. He endowed a minority scholarship fund at Notre Dame which has enabled over 180 minority students to attend the university and will continue into the future. He was also instrumental in establishing The Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life, which funded a number of pro-life initiatives at Notre Dame, where he also served on several advisory councils.

In 1959, he married Peggy Hendrick of Jackson, who died in 2022. They were blessed with four children, Patrick, Andrew and Susan who survive, and Kevin, who died in 1994. Five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive.

“Please don’t grieve for me. I lived a full and happy life. Rather, grieve for those unborn who will never have that opportunity.”