William E. Anspach Jr.

William Earl Anspach Jr. MD passed away peacefully March 5, 2026 in Palm Beach Gardens, FL at the age of 89. Dr. Anspach was born on March 16, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois to William Earl Anspach, MD and Rachel Sykes Anspach.

Despite a self-proclaimed boisterous youth, he managed to graduate from high school then went on to Beloit College where he met his first wife Judith. They secretly eloped during college. He was accepted to Stanford Medical School, where he completed his medical degree and started a family. After 2 years of active duty in the Air Force, he completed residency at the University of Florida and became a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon in Palm Beach Gardens for 25 years.

During that period he developed a unique surgical drill because he was unable to get the tools he needed for a particularly difficult surgery. The drill proved to be very effective so he started The Anspach Effort in his garage with 2 employees. The company ultimately grew to employ over 400 people in Palm Beach Gardens at the time of its sale in 2010. His vivid imagination lead to 16 patents in the field of surgical devices.

An insatiable curiosity lead to many other endeavors. He was a two time Formula C national champion in the Sports Car Club of America road racing series, a seaplane pilot, a musician and co-owner of the original River House in Palm Beach Gardens. He helped create the University of Florida Enneking-Anspach Orthopedic Research Center and in 2013, he became the first person to receive an honorary Doctorate of Technology from the University of Florida. In 2015, he helped establish the Anspach Advanced Manufacturing School at Mayland College in Burnsville, North Carolina to address the shortage of workers with the technical skills that are required for manufacturing jobs in our country.

He is survived by his wife, Kenna Lawson Anspach; his children, William (Cecilia) Anspach III, Amy Anspach and Thomas (Nicole) Anspach; his step-children, Kim (Alan) Wilson and Charles (Lesley) Lindsey; his grandchildren, William Anspach IV, Mark Anspach, Allison Anspach, Brinton Lindsey, Lauren Lindsey, Lawson Lindsey, Alan Wilson Jr. and Steven Wilson.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Judith, who passed away in 1990; his brother, Denny and his sister, Mary Rachel.

A private graveside service will be held April 18, 2026 followed by a celebration of his extraordinary life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trustbridge Hospice Foundation

5300 East Ave. WPB, Florida 33407