Valis, William. Bill passed away just before our late spring luncheon in 2017. Bill had played football for the Vikings. He served many years as an attorney for Reminger and Reminger. Dave Pfriem remembers that Bill was a generous man who attended several fundraisers for the agency he ran.

Classmate Bob Ross recalls this about Bill: 'Bill was always very respectful when speaking to others and was, obviously, greatly involved with our class and school: football, student council, and sodality.'

Dave also recalls a particular football game against East Tech in the fall of 1960. 'Tech wasn't a great team, but they had some huge players. One linebacker in particular must have weighed 300 pounds. Coach Gutbrod's strategy was to run up the gut, right into this linebacker. Bill was the back chosen for the job. Again and again, it was Bill who was the halfback on a trap play. He lowered his head, and Boom! He would hit his massive guy in the gut, and you could feel the ground shake. The amazing thing is that Bill gained four or five yards on each play. Over and over, he ran into the line. As I watched from the stands, I thought to myself, 'That's one courageous football player.' I don't think the Tech linebacker felt very good at the end of the game, either, but I became a Bill Valis admirer right then and there.'
Posted By: Administrator - 06-01-2017
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