William Dannhauer

September 6, 1943 – January 20, 2026

William Edward Dannhauer, Jr., known to those who loved him most as Papa, passed away on January 20, 2026, in Manchester, New Hampshire. He was 82 years old. In a moment that felt written by grace, January 20 was also the anniversary of his marriage to his beloved wife, Elizabeth. On the same date they had pledged their lives to each other 58 years before, William went to join her. Those who knew him well believe he is dancing with her still.

Born on September 6, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, William was a son of the city in the truest sense. He attended Lane Tech High School before going on to earn his degree in Organic Chemistry from Northern Illinois University, a foundation that would shape a long and distinguished career. He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force before going on to build a life and a family. He met Elizabeth, and though the story goes that neither one of them was particularly impressed at first, something changed. On January 20, 1968, they were married, and what began as an unlikely beginning became a life built together.

Together, William and Elizabeth raised four children: Elizabeth Ann, William Arthur, and twins Patricia Lynn and David Edward. In the early years, the family moved through Kentucky and Maine before settling in Bedford, New Hampshire, where William put down roots and made his mark. He spent many years as an exceptional Plant Manager at Kalwall Corporation in Bow, New Hampshire, a role he approached with the same steady dedication he brought to everything in his life. At the time of his passing, William was residing in Nashua, New Hampshire.

William took great pride in his children and made a point of being present in their lives in ways they still remember. He spent weekends patiently teaching them to drive, and when they came home from college for a visit, he would turn right around and drive them back without a second thought. He served as a chaperone on the McKelvie eighth grade trip to Mount Cardigan alongside his daughter Patricia, the kind of memory that stays with a child long after the climb is over. He was a father who showed up, again and again, for all of it.

William always encouraged his children to do their best, and he showed it by being there. He coached Elizabeth through her softball career, supported William Arthur through his years of wrestling, and was Patricia's biggest cheerleader and devoted photographer when she competed in a triathlon. Whatever his children set their minds to, William was somewhere nearby, cheering them on.

William was a man of deep faith who gave generously of himself to his church community. He began his service as a confirmation teacher in Maine, and he carried that ministry forward to New Hampshire, where, in time, he had the privilege of guiding his own children through that same milestone of faith. It was the kind of role that suited him, patient, present, and genuinely invested in the people in front of him.

He was also a Class A horseshoe player who competed at a high level in New Hampshire, and anyone who watched him on the court knew he played to win. And then there were the Chicago Cubs. William followed them with the particular loyalty that only a lifelong Cubs fan truly understands.

Among his greatest joys was ballroom dancing, a passion he and Elizabeth shared and pursued together as a couple. It was the kind of thing that told you something about who they were to each other. They moved well together, in dancing and in life.

William is survived by his daughters Elizabeth Ann and Patricia Lynn, and his son William Arthur, and by his three grandchildren, Courtney, Ben, and Owen, who called him Papa. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Elizabeth, who passed away in 2011, and by his son David Edward.

William will be laid to rest with military honors in recognition of his service to his country.

A funeral Mass will be held in his honor. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in William's memory or simply the gift of a kind word shared about the man he was.

Rest in peace, William. Dance well.