William H. Kaufman was born June 22, 1940, and died October 21, 1975 at the very young age of 35.  Bill Kaufman was obviously a handsome young man and many knew him from his active participation in school athletics.  Bill played football in our junior and senior years, and was a great runner on our track and cross country teams all three of our high school years, lettering in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.  He was on the Echowan staff our senior year. 

After high school Bill attended the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1962 with a degree in Business -- and a great knowledge of accounting.  While at the University of Minnesota Bill had been president of the Interfraternity Council.  Close friends during college report that Bill never ran track for the U. of M., nor did anything particularly athletic.  We have heard that Bill received an award from a Jewish Athletic group; but we have been unable to verify this.  His Interfraternity Council work showed that Bill had a good deal of leadership potential.

He then spent time in Washington, D.C., after college graduation, as a Presidential Scholar, worked for awhile in New York City and finally in Chicago for the Exxon Corporation.  He spent two years in Caracus, Venezuela, again for Exxon.  His expertise was in accounting.

In 1964 Bill married Sandra Kay Scott, who was born on October 9, 1942 in Nobles County, MN, and was known to have come from Worthington, MN.  [After such a long time (over 50 years) trying to reconstruct Bill's life from the testimony from friends, we do not know much about the details of his life.  He never, to our recollection, ever came back to any one of our class reunions; and all of the classmates we have contacted seem to have lost track of Bill after high school.  But Bill and Sandy had two daughters, and Sandy is thought to be residing somewhere in the Chicago or Michigan area, and is likely remarried.] 

Prior to the time of his death, Bill had separated from Sandy, and they were in the process of approaching a divorce when Bill suddenly became ill.  He moved back to Minnesota from Chicago and took residence in the same apartment complex in which his parents had been residing.  He immediately sought a diagnosis for his illness and was ultimately being treated for testicular cancer (and a very aggressive form of it, indeed).  These treatments were being administered at the University of Minnesota Hospital.  Because of this sudden downturn in Bill's health, his pending divorce was withdrawn and never processed to a conclusion.

His close friends from college continued to keep in close contact with Bill during these cancer treatments and they often visited and traveled to outstate Minnesota in an attempt to find solace in the great outdoors.  A very close college fraternity brother, Sidney Kaplan, who continues to be a prominent Minneapolis attorney today, reports that during this challenging time Bill Kaufman never gave into the idea that his own demise may be eminent.  He remained vibrant until just shortly before his death.  The treatments for testicular cancer led to surgery; but the cancer returned shortly thereafter and attached to his spine.  He became wheelchair bound in the last months.

Bill Kaufman is buried in Adath-Yeshuran Cemetery in Edina, MN, surrounded by many relatives from the Silverman, Levine and Kaufman families.

As we report this, plans are being made for the induction of all of the members of the 1958 St. Louis Park Track Team that won the State Championship.  Bill Kaufman was on that track team and his induction into the SLP Athletic Hall of Fame will, of course, be a post-humous recognition for his outstanding athletic ability.

Note: We do need additional information on Bill in order to write a much better "In Memory" notice; if you have additional information, please send your comments and information to us using the "Contact Us" page on this web site, or post your message directly here.  Thank you.