William J. Weick, who was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007, passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 85.

He also received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002 and was inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in 2004.

Visitation will be Sunday, Aug. 20, from 2-9 p.m. at the Curley Funeral Home, 6116 111th St, Chicago, 60415 and the funeral mass will be Monday, Aug. 21, at 10:30 a.m. at the Most Holy Redeemer Church, 9525 S. Lawndale, Evergreen Park, Illinois, 60805. In lieu of flowers, donations to Brother Rice Wrestling, 10001 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60655, would be appreciated

“We were sad to hear of the passing of Coach Weick, who made a positive difference in the lives of so many,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “He was bigger than life and he helped teach and coach students in some of the tougher areas in Chicago and its suburbs. His personality and style of coaching allowed him to teach at all levels, from kids just beginning in the sport to wrestlers competing in the Olympic Games. He will be deeply missed, but not forgotten in the wrestling community.”

Weick won an NCAA championship in 1952 for Iowa State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Iowa. He then served two years in the U.S. Army before returning to college where he won his second NCAA title in 1955. He was national runner-up three times and earned a spot on the first U.S. World Greco-Roman team. In 1954, he defeated the World Greco-Roman champion from 1952. After placing seven times in the National Open Championships in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, he turned his focus to coaching, where he truly made his mark.

“Bill Weick was my personal coach at the Olympic Games and World Championships many times," said USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner, who was inducted as a Distinguished Member in 2002. "He was instrumental in developing the skills, work ethic and mental toughness that set the foundation for my success over the years. I first met Bill in 1981, when he was coach of the World University Team. It was one of the toughest camps I had ever gone to. It was my second international experience, and I won. I owe a lot of my success to many coaches, and Bill was one of them who made a difference and set the groundwork for my success.”

He started his legendary coaching career at Maquoketa High School in Iowa, before returning to his home state of Illinois where he coached Tilden Tech High School, his alma mater, Mount Carmel High School and Brother Rice High School. The teams at Mount Carmel achieved national acclaim, winning the state dual meet title three years in a row while finishing second two times. He had 21 individual state champions during his tenure, the most of any Illinois school during his time there, and several of his wrestlers achieved great success on the college level. His overall coaching record was a phenomenal 749-112-2, earning him recognition as National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Associations.

For many years, Weick was a member of the volunteer coaching staff for U.S. teams competing in international events and earned the respect of both the top athletes in the country and other coaches. His unique ability as a teacher, honed through his education, combined with his enthusiasm, winning spirit and tough-minded, yet caring attitude, helped even the most elite wrestlers compete at their highest levels.

He was on the Olympic coaching staff for freestyle in 1972, 1980, 1984 and 1988, and worked with the Greco-Roman team in 1976. He was head coach of the 1975 Pan American Games team that won the team title, and also coached U.S. teams at the 1975 World Cup, as well as three Junior World Championships and the 1981 World University Games.

Weick traveled the world for wrestling, but was just as appreciated in his hometown where he was honored as Chicagoan of the Year in 1995.