William "Bill" M Lafrenz

William "Bill" Lafrenz passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 94. Bill will be remembered as a kind and generous man who always put others first. His warmth, humility, and unwavering integrity touched everyone who knew him. He believed in the value of hard work, the importance of helping others in any way he could, and the joy of sharing laughter with friends and family. Bill’s life was a testament to compassion and service, and his memory will live on in the many lives he enriched.

A visitation will be held at Weerts Funeral Home on Sunday, August 30, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held at Weerts Funeral Home on Monday, August 31, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with a brief visitation preceding it, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow the service at Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorials may be made to either Newcomb Presbyterian Church in Davenport, IA, or the Davenport Village Lions Club.

Bill was born on May 2, 1932, in Davenport, IA, to Max and Elisabeth (Mengel) Lafrenz. He graduated from Davenport High School in 1950 and attended Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois. In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea until 1954.

He married MaryJean Hayes on October 8, 1954, also in Davenport. Most of Bill’s career was in sales, beginning with Underwood Typewriters. He founded his own business, Fillmore Enterprises, in 1990 and ran it for 25 years. Through Fillmore Enterprises, Bill provided innovative services to local businesses, helping companies in the Davenport area improve efficiency and adopt new technologies. Many local organizations benefited from his guidance and leadership, leaving a lasting impact on the community. Bill was also invited to conduct seminars on barcoding across the US and Europe.

Bill was a member of Newcomb Presbyterian Church. He was an active and dedicated member of the Davenport Village Lions Club, serving in various leadership roles over the years. Always passionate about giving back, Bill, along with his wife, was instrumental in the Kids’ Sight Vision Screening Program, helping provide free vision screenings to hundreds of local children each year. Bill also enjoyed traveling with his wife, MaryJean, especially trips to Alaska, Great Britain, and Ireland. He also enjoyed spending time with and attending events for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, playing cards, and hanging tinsel on the Christmas tree. Every year during the holidays, Bill would gather the entire family to decorate the Christmas tree.

Bill is survived by his children, Richard (Kathleen), Geneseo, IL; Dana (William) Schultz, Camdenton, MO; Michelle (Richard) DCamp, Oshkosh, WI; Matthew (LaRae), Bolingbrook, IL; and Shawn (April), Lascassas, TN; 21 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren and two on the way; and his sisters-in-law, Nancy Lafrenz, Chapin, South Carolina, and Sandra (Hayes) Wooldridge, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

He is preceded in death by his wife, MaryJean; his parents; his brother, Arno J; and a sister-in-law, Verna (Hayes) Ward Cook.