Dr. William “Bill” Wirth Schlaepfer passed peacefully at his home in Wallingford, Pennsylvania on June 20th 2024. He was 92. He is survived by daughters Julie Spahn, Linda Werner (Craig), and Karen Rendulich (Tom), and grandchildren Alexa, Noah, Nicole, Rebecca, Ryan, Taylor, and Lilly. He is predeceased by his parents, Dr Karl Schlaepfer and Helen Stelling Schlaepfer and brothers Karl and Fred Schlaepfer.

Bill was born on June 7th, 1932 to Hellen Stelling and Karl Frederich Schlaepfer in Shorewood, Wisconsin. He graduated from Shorewood High School in 1950, Princeton University in 1954, and Yale University School of Medicine in 1958. He completed his residency in pathology and neuropathology at Yale, followed by a research fellowship in Munich for neuropathology. He was on faculty at Cornell School of Medicine until 1968 when he moved to St Louis where he served as a professor of neuropathology at Washington University School of Medicine. In 1979, he moved to Philadelphia where he served as a professor of neuropathology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for the next 36 years until his retirement in 2016. He was married to Joan Francis French from 1960 to 1996 and to Rafaela Canete-Soler from 1997 to  2006.

Bill was a champion of lifelong learning who continuously embraced his endless curiosity for exploring and studying new subjects. He was an avid tennis player and competed in the USTA master’s doubles nationals. He was an accomplished bridge player, achieving Grand Master status. He treasured classical music and opera. Above all, he loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. He cherished family vacations, attended his grandchildren’s events and activities, and followed along the details of their lives with pride. He never missed acknowledging a family birthday. He will be missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held Saturday November 30th at 1 pm in Pocono Pines, PA. The service will have a zoom option for remote viewing.  Please contact Julie Spahn @ 3spahns@gmail.com for more information.

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