William “Bill” Patchett, 77, was a farm boy who grew up to travel to the far corners of the world and work his way up the ladder from insurance salesman to executive. The Glenview resident died of cancer Friday, March 10, in Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Mr. Patchett was born in Brocton, a small town of 400 in central Illinois. He attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and then left the country after enlisting in the U.S. Army after his sophomore year. During World War II, Mr. Patchett was sent to India, where he traveled the Burma Road into Burma to decode enemy messages. Upon his return to America, Mr. Patchett graduated from Northwestern University and then started working with Sentry Insurance, in 1951. He moved from Danville to Park Ridge four years later. In 1982, he took a post as managing director of Sentry’s South African subsidiary. During five years in that country, Mr. Patchett served as the government relations liaison with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, meeting with ambassadors and South African officials. He retired from Sentry in 1987 and returned to the Chicago area, settling in Glenview to be near family. But staying active was an integral part of Mr. Patchett’s life and he became involved with the North Shore Senior Center, eventually serving as president of the men’s club. Survivors include his wife, Margy; two daughters, Meg Mikesell and Linda; and four grandchildren. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in Glenview Community Church, 1000 Elm St., Glenview.
