William Portmann | Obituary

William Louis Portmann

May 15, 1943- October 26, 2025

William Louis Portmann (1943-2025) passed away peacefully on October 26 in Kent, Washington with his adult children by his side.

A lifelong resident of Kent, William (Bill, Willie) was born into a dairy farming family and grew up in the little red farmhouse surrounded by green fields that you can’t help but notice as you drive through the Kent Valley. He graduated from Kent-Meridian High School in 1961.

He married Karen Cosgrove in 1964 and together they raised three children in their own barn red house on the East Hill. With his dairy background, William was a natural fit for major dairy producer Darigold, where he spent his career before retiring in 2002.

William never met a car he couldn’t fix or a home project he couldn’t handle. If anyone was building a fence or reroofing their house or had their car up on jack stands in the driveway, he would always be there to lend a hand. And if he had too much time on his hands, his house often got a little bigger.

After retiring, William enjoyed traveling with his wife Karen. Both big baseball fans, they loved to take road trips to Spring Training in Arizona. They also made great use of their son’s air travel benefits–frequently visiting Hawaii and taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia.

William is survived by his children Marcia (Guy), Robert (Kelly), and Daniel (Jonelle); six grandchildren–Krystian (Emmalee), Ian, Ben, Ethan, Harper, and Arden; two great grandchildren–Landon and Emelia; and siblings Otto, Geraldine, Kathleen, Peter, and Joseph. He was preceded in death by his wife Karen, brother Frank, sister Rosemary, and his parents Otto and Julia.

A private Celebration of Life will be held in January 2026.