Willard Zangwill
March 18, 1938
-
October 14, 2025
Funeral
Funeral Date and Time:
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 01:30 pm
Funeral Service Information:
Professor Willard Ira Zangwill, beloved husband of Julia. Loving father of Michael (Beth Rogers) and Monica (Rob Markstein) Zangwill. Cherished grandfather of Zena (fiancé Nima Mohseni) Zangwill; and Annie, Melissa and Eric Markstein. Dear brother of Robert and the late Donald Zangwill. Fond uncle of many nephews, nieces, grandnephews, and grandnieces.
Funeral services 1:30PM, Tuesday, October 21 at Westlawn Cemetery Mausoleum, 7801 W Montrose Ave, Norridge. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Jimmy Fund (see link below) would be appreciated. Arrangements by Lakeshore Jewish Funerals, 773-625-8621.
https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2119&2119.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T
From Willard’s children:
Our father, Bill Zangwill, passed away Tuesday, 10/14/2025. Bill was diagnosed with stage 4 mesothelioma in January of 2020 and lived way past all expectations. He loved his family and friends. He made an effort to attend all life celebrations and promised he would always be there for you. See link below to a special montage of photo memories prepared to celebrate his life:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xmBDKRv2aUQeep7oSkNlPJE75W77U1s6/view?usp=gmail
Bill grew up in Pittsburgh PA and Bethesda MD. He graduated from Columbia University in 1959 with a Bachelor's degree magna cum laude in physics, then joined the Navy serving as a Lieutenant Junior Grade on the USS Waldron from 1959-1961. He then attended Stanford University where he earned a master's degree in statistics and a PhD in operations research. He held positions at several prominent organizations, including the University of California at Berkeley; the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; the US Office of Education; and the University of Illinois, where he was chairman of the Management Science Group. He joined the faculty of University of Chicago Booth School of Management in 1978 and taught there until his retirement. He was the author of four books and more than 50 published papers on the theory and application of operations research and management science. He also developed software for decision making that has been widely applied in business and for homeland security.
Bill enjoyed a close friendship with several of his Columbia University friends for more than 50 years, with whom he loved to trade intellectual quips and questions when they got together. He tried to attend as many life events of his family as possible, including numerous Bar and Bat mitzvahs of his many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and grandnieces and grandnephews. He was an accomplished piano player and chess player. Above all, he enjoyed visits with his children, grandchildren, and many extended family and friends where he delighted in hearing how each of them was progressing in their lives.
Funeral services 1:30PM, Tuesday, October 21 at Westlawn Cemetery Mausoleum, 7801 W Montrose Ave, Norridge. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Jimmy Fund (see link below) would be appreciated. Arrangements by Lakeshore Jewish Funerals, 773-625-8621.
https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2119&2119.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T
From Willard’s children:
Our father, Bill Zangwill, passed away Tuesday, 10/14/2025. Bill was diagnosed with stage 4 mesothelioma in January of 2020 and lived way past all expectations. He loved his family and friends. He made an effort to attend all life celebrations and promised he would always be there for you. See link below to a special montage of photo memories prepared to celebrate his life:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xmBDKRv2aUQeep7oSkNlPJE75W77U1s6/view?usp=gmail
Bill grew up in Pittsburgh PA and Bethesda MD. He graduated from Columbia University in 1959 with a Bachelor's degree magna cum laude in physics, then joined the Navy serving as a Lieutenant Junior Grade on the USS Waldron from 1959-1961. He then attended Stanford University where he earned a master's degree in statistics and a PhD in operations research. He held positions at several prominent organizations, including the University of California at Berkeley; the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; the US Office of Education; and the University of Illinois, where he was chairman of the Management Science Group. He joined the faculty of University of Chicago Booth School of Management in 1978 and taught there until his retirement. He was the author of four books and more than 50 published papers on the theory and application of operations research and management science. He also developed software for decision making that has been widely applied in business and for homeland security.
Bill enjoyed a close friendship with several of his Columbia University friends for more than 50 years, with whom he loved to trade intellectual quips and questions when they got together. He tried to attend as many life events of his family as possible, including numerous Bar and Bat mitzvahs of his many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and grandnieces and grandnephews. He was an accomplished piano player and chess player. Above all, he enjoyed visits with his children, grandchildren, and many extended family and friends where he delighted in hearing how each of them was progressing in their lives.
Funeral Provider:
Lakeshore Jewish Funerals