~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, NWA Capt. William “Bill” John
Rataczak
June 30, 1939 ~ October 22, 2025 (age 86)
Aviation was Bill's passion throughout his life,
and he earned his pilot's license even before he could legally drive…………….
Bill joined Northwest Airlines 06-15-1965. Widowed in 2022, Bill is survived by his children
and their families.
Visitation will be held Thurs. Oct. 30 from 4-7
p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Chapel in Annandale. A Celebration of Life will be
held Fri. Oct. 31, at 12 p.m. at the Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel in St. Paul…..please
see details below.
PCN memorial site
https://www.dingmannfuneral.com/obituary/William-Rataczak
William Rataczak Obituary
William John Rataczak, 86, of South Haven, died
peacefully Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
He was born June 30, 1939, in Minneapolis, MN to
John and Ann Rataczak, and was a force of nature in virtually all aspects of
his life. No goal, challenge, or adversity was met in any way other than
head-on. This trait was probably never more evident than at age 68 when, after
being hit by a gravel truck while riding his bicycle, breaking his neck in two
places and smashing his forehead, Bill declared in the recovery room that he
would walk out of the hospital. Three months later, albeit with a halo still screwed
into his head, he did exactly that.
Aviation was Bill's passion throughout his life,
and he earned his pilot's license even before he could legally drive.
Graduation from Minneapolis Roosevelt High School in 1957 was followed by a
year at the University of Minnesota before entering the Air Force. Upon his
return from active duty, Bill re-enrolled at the U, and married Judy Burgess in
1962. Within three years, the couple welcomed two children, Bill graduated a
proud Gopher, and was hired by Northwest Airlines. He soon checked out on his
first commercial aircraft, thus fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional
pilot. Early in his career, the 32-year-old husband and father of (by then)
three children was at the helm of flight NWO #305 when a bomb-threatening
hijacker notoriously jumped out of the plane and into the night sky.
Ultimately, over a 34-year career, Bill logged approximately 35,000 hours of
flying time, and took great pride not just in safely flying his airplanes, but
in ensuring his passengers had good experiences. Noted a member of NWA's
management after Bill's final commercial flight, "Bill didn't just fly
airplanes, he flew people".
Bill's passion for aviation was exceeded only by
his immense love for his family. They lived in a wonderful neighborhood in
Burnsville before moving out to the shores of Bill's beloved Lake Syliva in
1974. The family readily took to the Annandale community, and Bill's force of
nature spirit showed up in his leadership of the Annandale Hockey Association,
the Annandale 10K Road Race, and the Heart of the Lakes Triathlon. Bill was an
eager participant in all those sports, too, logging many hours playing and coaching
hockey and running several marathons. Bill and Judy regularly hosted all manner
of guests to their home at the lake, and they found great joy facilitating the
myriad lakeside adventures of their seven grandchildren. High on the
youngsters' list of fond lake memories were the skating rinks Bill would plow
and "zamboni" each Christmas. In retirement, Bill and Judy traveled
extensively, but also encountered several serious health issues. In the end,
the impacts of those, coupled with a life well-lived, finally caught up to
Bill, but not before his humor and gratitude earned him the love and respect of
so many of the staff who cared for him in his last year.
While Bill was well-known to be talkative, he was
much more than just talk. He lived with great integrity and deeply-held values,
and was active with his body, in his community and with his mind his entire
life. A central tenet of Bill's was leaving things better than he found them,
and to that end he always did more than his share.
Bill is survived by his son, Michael Rataczak; son
and daughter in-law James and Joan Rataczak; daughter Sarah Rataczak, beloved
grandchildren Natalie, Jens, Jack, Grace, Leo, Eric, Max and Henry;
great-granddaughter Violet; sister and brother in-law Katherine and Gar Bensen;
brother David Rataczak; brother Scott Rataczak, and numerous nieces and
nephews.
Visitation will be held Thurs. Oct. 30 from 4-7
p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Chapel in Annandale. A Celebration of Life will be
held Fri. Oct. 31, at 12 p.m. at the Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel in St. Paul
followed by a luncheon at Mendakota Country Club in Mendota Heights. Burial
will be June 26, 2026, at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. The family asks that
any memorial donations made in Bill's memory be directed to Shriner's Hospital
for Children.
The obituary, tribute wall, video tribute, and
funeral webcast are online at www.dingmannfuneral.com
https://www.dingmannfuneral.com/obituary/Judith-Rataczak
Judith Kay (Burgess) Rataczak
August 8, 1940 ~ November 19, 2022 (age 82)
Judith Rataczak Obituary
Judith Burgess Rataczak,
82, of South Haven, died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, November 19th.
She was born on August
8, 1940, in Austin, MN, to Donald and Katie (Hanson) Burgess. After graduating
from Austin High School in 1958, Judy moved to Minneapolis to study nursing at
St. Barnabas, where she graduated with a nursing diploma in 1961. Nursing was
one of Judy's great passions, and she was a gifted nurse to all her patients;
she passed on this love of nursing to her daughter, daughter-in-law, and
granddaughter.
Judy married William
Rataczak in 1962, and the couple settled in Minneapolis. In 1974, Judy and Bill
moved to Lake Sylvia, outside South Haven, where they raised their family. Over
the ensuing decades, Judy continued to build………………………
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