After a valiant battle with cancer, William (Bill) Cannon, age 75, passed away on October 7, 2023, at home in Mequon surrounded by his beloved family, cherished wife of 36 years Geralyn (née Shave) and much adored children, Kelly Cannon of Los Angeles, CA, and Conor Cannon of Chicago, IL. Dear brother of Mary (late Bill Drew), Tom (Nancy), Patrick (Linda), John (Josie), and Susan Cannon. Favorite uncle of his 18 nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews and numerous Sweeney, Barry, and Newell cousins.
Born April 24, 1948, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to parents Judge Robert C. and Helen Elizabeth (née Gildea) Cannon, Bill was a 5th generation Irishman whose deep love for his ancestral homeland shaped the course of his life. Bill graduated from St. Jude Grade School and later Marquette University High School where he broke the school’s 22-year-old pole vault record. He later attended the National University of Ireland (Galway) and the Sorbonne in Paris before graduating from Marquette University, followed by the University of Wisconsin Law School with honors.
Bill’s blue Irish eyes twinkled brightest when entertaining loved ones at KelCon House, the family home he designed and built in Ireland which he named after his children. Since 1993, Bill delighted in welcoming loved ones to the town of Clonakilty, County Cork with his customary Irish charm and style. Bill’s familiar booming laugh could regularly be heard throughout the evenings when he would share his favorite Midleton Irish Whiskey and Monte Cristo Churchill cigars among friends and family.
Bill belonged to one of Wisconsin’s most prominent legal families and proudly continued a 100-year family history of four generations of lawyers representing people who have been wrongly injured. Whether in the courtroom or beyond its walls, Bill was fueled by this legacy and his personal commitment to help those in need in the city and community he loved so dearly. In 1984, Bill began forming the Milwaukee law firm that later was formally established as Cannon & Dunphy S.C. on July 5, 1985. For nearly 40 years, the firm has gained recognition as one of Wisconsin’s most successful personal injury law practices. Bill developed a national reputation as a brilliant trial lawyer. He won more $10 million paid verdicts and settlements for his clients than any other lawyer in Wisconsin history and earned distinction in the Best Lawyers in America for over 30 years. The firm he built has successfully recovered over a billion dollars in compensation for its clients with numerous monumental settlements and jury verdicts. Several of these results pioneered groundbreaking legal precedents in the state that bolstered safeguards and enforced protections and higher standards of care for the injured and vulnerable. These milestones garnered widespread attention, with their coverage extending to programs and publications across the national media including CBS’ 60 Minutes program, ABC Evening National News, and Time magazine.
Bill's journey battling Stage IV colorectal cancer since his 2020 diagnosis was a testament to his incredible strength and tenacity. For three additional years, he faced the challenges of this diagnosis with unwavering determination to fight for more time with his family. Even as he endured grueling treatments and surgeries, Bill continued to embrace life fearlessly. His renewal of vows to Geralyn in Positano, Italy at their treasured Il San Pietro showcased their enduring love. When his time came, Bill met it with grace and the courage of a lion leaving us with a legacy that will forever remind us that a good life is a simple life, and a simple life is a happy life.
Bill's family would like to offer special thanks to Father Tim Kitzke of St. John's Cathedral, Drs. Scott Jorgensen and Rudy Bedford, Julie Takton, RN, Sarah Lucas, and the medical teams at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, especially Drs. Julio Garcia-Aguilar and Garrett Nash, and the Mayo Clinic.
Family and friends may begin to gather at 9:30 AM until time of Memorial Mass at 10:30 AM on Monday, October 16, 2023, at St. Jude the Apostle Church, 734 Glenview Avenue, Wauwatosa. Private interment at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bill Cannon’s name to support Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center research efforts in colorectal and appendiceal cancers led by one of his incredible surgeons, Dr. Garrett Nash. Checks, made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, should be mailed to:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Attn: Fred’s Team, P.O. Box 27432, New York, NY 10087-7432. Please indicate on the check memo line that the gift is in honor of Bill Cannon. If you would like to make a gift online, please use this link to donate through Kelly Cannon’s MSK Marathon Fundraising Team page, check the box that states, “make this an honor or memorial gift”, and add that the gift is in honor of Bill Cannon.
Alternatively, please consider a gift in his honor to the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, 5000 W. Electric Avenue, West Milwaukee, WI.