William Edward Pallasch

William Edward Pallasch was born March 22, 1931 in Grand Forks, ND to William Johan and Emma (Kurpick) Pallasch, immigrants from Germany. He spent his youth in Grand Forks, graduating from Central High School in 1948 and the University of North Dakota with a major in Marketing in 1952.

Bill married Lois Berkeland October 16, 1953 in Grand Forks. After a brief time in Detroit Lakes, MN, they moved to Fargo, ND. Bill was a salesman for Goodyear, Kraft Foods, and Burroughs Corporation. He managed the Moorhead Ben Franklin store. In 1969 he began working for Straus Company, a fine men’s clothing store. He was responsible for window and in-store visual merchandising, and speaking engagements as a fashion merchandising consultant. Before retiring in 1995, he expertly served many clients who regularly shopped at Straus and became lifelong friends.

He shared his talents with the community through his leadership and involvement with Sertoma, Mended Hearts, and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). Bill’s artistic talents were many: calligraphy, drawing, photography and singing. As a young man he sang in a barbershop quartet, The Chordsmen. He sang in the Olivet Lutheran church choir and the Touchmark choir who performed at the Fargo Theatre. He was a soloist at many weddings including his own, his children’s, and recently his granddaughter’s. Bill’s hobby for gardening expanded during retirement when he became a Master Gardener, and together with Kay Kundert provided gardening services for numerous clients in Fargo. They made many friends while beautifying their properties.

Bill was a long-time member of Olivet Lutheran Church, serving on multiple committees, most notably the Liturgical Arts committee. He spent many hours planning and preparing for the important events in the church year.
Bill passed away at age 87 on July 4, 2018 following a year-long battle with cancer.

He is survived by his children: Cindy (Tim) Wambach, Julie (Bob) DeVahl and Marc (Deborah) Pallasch; five grandchildren: Lindsay (Vinnie) Redell, Dana (Danny) Ross, Dannae (Zac) Arnold, Kristin (Patrick) Wittenbach, Cooper Pallasch; two great-grandchildren: Gianna Redell, Dawson Ross; sisters: Evelyn Marsh, Pauline (Bill) Keple, Mary Ann (Al) Montgomery; and special friend Kay Kundert. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Lois and his sister Louise Leonard.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Olivet Lutheran Church, Hospice of the Red River Valley, or a favorite charity.