Lori Holz:
SOS Dalmatian Rescue
I met William and Cathy when they came to my house to meet a Dalmatian that they were interested in adopting. I was struck by his size, and also how gentle and caring he was. When I was visiting at their house, I couldn't take my eyes off their many quilts. To then hear how William and Cathy created them together, it was almost too much. I wanted to giggle thinking about such a big man working with small pieces of fabric, but I quickly realized that it was a wonderful gift he had. He was able to be great in so many different areas. He was larger than life! I know that William is at the Rainbow Bridge playing with all the dogs that have passed and are waiting for their owners to follow. William....I hope to meet up with you again someday. --Lori, Save Our Spots Dalmatian Rescue

Stefanie Norvaisas:

William Lindeman Terrified Me If any of you have watched William play with kids you’d know what I mean. When my girls would come to the office he would toss them in the air, hold them with one hand and have them play airplane as he ran around the office. I’d sit with my eyes closed waiting for the crash. It never came. I was always worried when we had an event that he was going to make me wear a funny hat or crazy slippers or mortify me in some other way that I couldn’t even dream up on my own. Wiilliam and Cathy had Julie and I over for dinner after we were hired and I assumed we’d have a pleasant dinner with witty banter, the next thing I know I am on an ATV whizzing through the fields going wayyyyy too fast. William had such clear-eyed optimism giving me a sense that anything was possible and in fact we were going to have to make the impossible possible. I was terrified I’d disappoint him. All the time I was terrified William was quietly filling my toolbox with everything I needed to ensure that I would have a happy and successful life. And ok, I really wasn’t all that terrified since at the same time he was scaring me with what was possible he was making me feel at home, safe and sound. Thanks for the tools William, I will use them well and make you proud. Stef

Jan Patrick:
Former Co-Worker
During this time of year I specifically remember how William would bring in flowers from his house. He always brought in colorful, beautiful flowers. At times their aroma was too overpowering and you would have to move them to a more open area. But then more people could enjoy them. I also appreciate how well he treated my kids when I would bring them in to the office. You could see he had fun with all the kids no matter what the age. I loved visiting with William. No mater what the subject was he always gave me something to think about. We will miss his bigger than life personality. He was a great person.

Julie Norvaisas:
Design Concepts
William had a deep impact on my entire family's life. William initially contacted Stef and I after we'd been laid off, to talk about starting a Research Department at Design Concepts. His enthusiasm and vision for the new department was incredible, and his confidence in us inspiring. 4 years later, we're thriving at DCI, doing great work, and our whole family lives in the Madison area. We get to be together enjoying each other daily... thanks to William. I have grown tremendously personally and professionally... thanks to William. One funny story I keep remembering is from my first big project for DCI. I worked with William on it over the course of several months, as he mentored me. It was a very involved research program. To wrap it up, we had a big presentation in South Carolina with a very intense client. The presentation went well; we were relieved and exhausted. The next day we had a follow up meeting early in the morning with some key members of the client team. William knocked on my hotel room door that morning at the appointed time. I had overslept. His knock on the door woke me up. William was standing there in his tie and jacket and I was in my pajamas, hair sticking out everwhere, apologizing profusely. I was mortified! What would the Director of Industrial Design and a Principal of Design Concepts think of such an unprofessional gaffe??? He just threw back his head and laughed and laughed. In fact, he laughed at me all day long! It extended into weeks of mockery! As embarassing as that was, it was a great window into what was really important to William in the workplace and a great lesson for me. Do GREAT work, but don't take yourself TOO seriously. I already miss him terribly, but the lessons he taught me will always be with me, and I will strive to pass them along in his spirit.

Doug Seals:
Design Concepts
One of the things I'll remember and envy the most about William was his ability to transform into the world's biggest 7 year old. Back when my daughters were MUCH younger, one of my favorite days at DCI was the annual 'Take Your Son or Daughter to Work Day'. Of course, I'd instruct them before hand on how to 'behave' in an office environment. No loud talking, no running around, etc. Then along comes William, who would basically encourage that sort of thing. Not that he was a bad influence. On the contrary, it's just that as the parent of said 'Son or Daughter', you knew how little encouragement they actually needed, especially from an 'adult' as big as William, to step over that line you'd earlier drawn in the sand with them. He'd have them running around, playing with the paging system, etc., and he'd be laughing the whole time. After a while it became the annual 'Keep Your Son or Daughter Away From William Day'. He was so good with the kids because he was able to become one of them.

Dennis Kantarski:
Design Concepts
In a world with too few nice people, William was one of those rare individuals that people just liked to be around! I met William nearly 6 years ago when the firm was trying to decide whether or not I was the right fit as a professional sales person. It was clear to me that maybe more important than anyone else, I needed to connect with William. The rest is some wonderful history. I have been fortunate enough to work with William on many key opportunities and what were to be, key customers. And William always made a larger-than-life impression with everyone he touched. One of the best stories I have about William was the day we were both in attendance at a project meeting at our Madison HQ. One of my customers (I don't recall who the person that asked) commented on William's great height and asked how tall he was. When William gave his answer, I replied with a "yeah, right, you're not that tall." At which point, William pulled me next to him, looked down at me to see me size him up. And with that, William just started smiling and then burst out laughing. THAT was classic William -- larger than life, but never, ever to make anyone feel small around him. William, I will miss your smile, your laugh and your contagious enthusiasm. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. I'm thankful that our lives crossed paths and we had the chance to work together often. May God shine His light upon you!

Julia Finnegan:

William was an inspiration. He gave us focus, insight and the spirit to overcome challenges. I worked with DCI often during the time I lived in Madison and worked for Johnson Health Tech. I was always excited to go over and work with the Norvaisas sisters and get the opportunity to chat with William. I don’t think I ever once visited their offices and missed a smile from him. It was like he was constantly spreading warmth around the office. I feel like I only skimmed the surface of knowing William but have learned from him, and will continue learning from him through his friends and colleagues. He left a lasting impression on us all, no matter what our relationship was with him. My heart goes out to his wife and colleges. The loss of William brings tears to my eyes but the impression he has made on us all will keep his spirit alive. I am honored to have known him.

Mackenzie Dunn:

Having just started as a temporary employee at Design Concepts just this past week, I was not lucky enough to have the chance to meet William. When I came into the office for my first day of working independently on Monday, I worried that I would be intruding on a very emotional time in the company. Instead, everyone has been reaching out to me, welcoming me to the company – a family, really, is what it feels like – even though I’ll be here only a few weeks. I didn’t get the good fortune to meet William, but I know that I have benefited from his influence in the warm reception and immense kindness I’ve been shown at DCI. Even a newcomer can see that his spirit still lives here. Thank you so very much.

Brad Wendt:
Design Concepts
I first met William Lindeman in early 1996. I interviewed him for the director of industrial design position at Design Concepts. I think back to that first interview and recall how impressed I was with William's friendly demeanor and professionalism. There was never a doubt as to what a great fit I thought he was for our company. We were very happy to be able to convince William and Cathy to move to the Midwest. William, Dave Franchino and others came in at a very critical time - if not a crisis time - in the firm, and in many ways they "saved the day." For that I have always been very thankful. After working with William over the years, it is clear that my initial impression of him was right. William truly embodied the very desirable human characteristics of integrity, creativity, honesty, and compassion. It was an honor to call him not only a business partner, but a friend. It is highly unusual for a business like ours and a business relationship like ours to last. With William's efforts it has not only lasted, but it was successful on so many different levels. And speaking of success, William's life was successful on many levels, as well. In his younger days, Bill (as he was known back then) was an excellent basketball player, although he'd never let you know that he was any good. He was good enough to be part of the Ohio State University basketball team. He also had success in school and in business. Most importantly, he enjoyed a happy life and he was a great husband to Cathy. William did leave a positive impression on others, even if for just a fleeting moment. The other night, I was explaining William's passing to my 10-year-old son, Erick. Erick had met William in person maybe two or three times in his short life. As I was trying to explain to Erick who William was, he said, "Oh yeah, I remember, he was that tall guy who was always smiling and had a bunch of toys in his office." If that sentence doesn't sum up William, I am not sure what does. Like many of you, I was always equally as comfortable doing business with William as I was just hanging out with him. He was an amicable, unassuming man who made friends instantly. Cathy, I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate what you and William did for Design Concepts and, in turn, my family. Our hearts ache today for William, for Cathy, and for ourselves as we truly lost a good man in William Lindeman. Rest in peace William, Brad Wendt and family

Sandy Rodgers:
Design Concepts
I’ve had the privilege of knowing William at work and a little bit at play. And he made sure there wasn’t much difference between the two. At work, he was the 6’7” figure with the 60 watt smile. As the biggest kid on the block, he was the one who would roll bocce balls 50 feet down the hallway, past the doorways, just as the day was starting to drag. He would always have an open door and an optimistic word encouraging everyone to play with his windup toys, nifty pen collection or his oversized quartz marbles. And at home, his toys were even better. William told me I should come out and play in the woods at Cathy and his home. He really wanted to me to have fun riding the ATV. Was I ATV material? I wasn’t sure. A Toyota Corolla was the wildest thing I’d driven, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to have some fun getting to know them both. William demonstrated the art of The Polaris. It looked pretty easy. I could do that. But there’s a steep pitch in the backyard, and, frankly, I was afraid I would tumble end over end. I moved at 5 miles per hour, literally, up and down the driveway feeling like I’d gotten the full sense of the experience. Yes, it’s interesting. Not really a hobby, but yes, interesting in a bumper cars sort of way. Then William got on and told me to sit on the front while he drove (and yes, I know they’re not designed to do that). We flew down the hill, around the corner, through the paths and finally cut loose on the open land shared between his neighbors. He was fearless like the kid he really was. I was laughing so loud I was screaming. Since I was conveniently sitting near the speedometer, I couldn’t help but notice that at times we were moving close to 30 miles per hour and never really slowing down much more. Were they designed to do that? It didn’t really matter. We were definitely eclipsing my top speed, and it really wasn’t scary any more – it was just a blast. And the neighbors barking gang of dogs running at our heels/tires, just added to the fun. When we stopped, he turned it over to me to give it one more try. This time, I got it. Jump off the edge, fly down the hill, hoot and holler at the dogs and, most of all, have a ball. I’d learned that from William. And armed with my new confidence and his encouraging laugh, I was indeed ATV material as I topped out at 11 mph. Yes, 11. His incredible spirit, his sense of fun and constant encouragement and optimism made him such an amazing person to know. Somehow he combined all that energy and love-of-life with a kind and gentle spirit that made you feel like you could do anything, you could have so much fun. Like everyone who knows him, I’ll miss him more than I can possibly say. But, I’m grateful for the chance to have known him – he taught me a great deal in sharing his time. Now the real challenge - to follow his lead and encouragement and add a little more fun to life – 15% more whimsy, as he once said. I’ll give it my best try.

Chad Sorenson:
Sologear, LLC
I met William in the summer of 1998, my first summer of three as a mechanical engineering intern at Design Concepts. I subsequently developed a strong professional relationship with him over the past nine years and consider him a good friend. I was almost ill when I learned of his cancer last year and have kept him active in my thoughts, as well as those close to me. Indeed, as Dave said, this is a tremendous loss. It was impossible to be in a room and not take note of his presence. Beyond his physical dimensions, William had an extremely distinctive voice and persona that put me in a good mood even on those days that were not going so well. In the second leg of my relationship there, when my start-up company worked with Design Concepts for a couple of years, William’s perpetual optimism, cheeriness and glow were welcome and refreshing. Even on the most stressful days, a five-minute conversation with him would leave you in higher spirits. “The world is a good place to be and things will turn out all right,” was the feeling you got. I was absolutely amazed at the optimism and mental fortitude he displayed even through this horrible battle with cancer. Few can claim his strength. It’s easy to let William’s remarkable personality and management style eclipse his creative talents, but I quickly developed a high respect for his skills as a designer. I have no formal background in industrial design, but have always had an interest. William took time to teach me some of the little tricks industrial designers use to make their work look so compelling. While I can’t claim to have anywhere near the abilities of someone trained in the discipline, the quality of my sketches and my eye for design have benefited from my interactions with William. He did not see hard-and-fast divisions between “engineer” and “designer,” and I frequently mingled amongst his ID group trying to absorb knowledge from a discipline other than my own. Beyond William’s admirable attributes, I think one of the reasons I place him so high in my mind is due the special interest he took in me. Even while I was an unproven starting engineering intern, he welcomed me into Design Concepts and treated me as an equal; a level of respect I likely did not deserve. He is amongst several very key people at Design Concepts that led me to want to return year-after-year for my summers as an intern, as well as later with my continuing client-based relationship with the company. Just a few of many memories with William include a day at a remote control airplane field (an interest we both shared), a road trip to Peoria, Illinois and him dropping in on product development meetings where he had no formal role, but still took time to generously contribute his thoughts and ideas. William has thoughtfully provided feedback on many of my new product ideas and I have been a true beneficiary by knowing him. My thoughts and prayers extend to Cathy and the rest of the Design Concepts Team as they cope with the loss of William. These are big shoes to fill, literally.

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