Dodgeville - William D. "Bill" Dyke, age 85, Circuit Court Judge of Iowa County, died of cancer on Thursday, March 10, 2016, at Bloomfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Dodgeville.

A celebration of Bill's life will be held at HIDDEN VALLEY COMMUNITY CHURCH, 605 N. Bennett Road, Dodgeville on Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. with a service at 1:00 p.m. Judge Dyke's guest book is provided in the link to Gorgen Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, Judge Dyke suggested memorials to humane societies in Iowa County, Dane County, and Dubuque, Iowa.

Bill was born on April 25, 1930, in Princeton, Illinois, to Alfred and Vinnie (Thompson) Dyke. He graduated from Princeton High School in 1948 and from DePauw University in 1952. While married to Joan (Piper) Dyke, Bill completed his law degree in 1960 at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison where he hosted WISC television and radio programs while working his way through school. He moderated Face the State, a local news program with guests including Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. He also led the development of the Wisconsin 1964 World's Fair Exhibit.

He became an attorney and entered politics, running for mayor of Madison in 1967. Dyke lost by only 62 votes. He ran for mayor successfully in 1969 and presided over Madison for two two-year terms during a turbulent time in the city. Dyke was a voice of reason during student unrest, the Sterling Hall bombing, and the Vietnam War protests. He believed in progressive ideas including low-cost city government and addiction-treatment programs. He fostered nascent concepts including school choice and a local grower's farmer's market, which grew into the nationally recognized farmer's market that exists today on Madison's Square.
Dyke ran for governor of Wisconsin and vice president of the United States after his time in the Madison mayor's office. After leaving the city, he raised horses and produced a movie. He was working as an attorney in Mineral Point when he was appointed to the Iowa County circuit judgeship by Governor Tommy Thompson in 1996.

Bill's time serving the people of Iowa County as its circuit court judge for 19 years was his most joyful. He advocated ideas such as treatment programs for addicts rather than incarceration. He believed in teen civic involvement, establishing a teen court where young offenders are evaluated and sentenced by peers. During the housing crisis that began in 2008, Dyke established a mortgage mediation program in Iowa County to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Bill was extremely honored to receive the State Bar of Wisconsin's Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award in 2015.

During his free time, Bill was an avid painter. He was known for his scenes of local landmarks including courthouses and wildlife. Each year, he sent out Christmas cards that featured one of his paintings.

Dyke is survived by his wife, Christine Dyke of Dodgeville, and his children Wade Dyke of Florida, Sarah Gardner of California, Kathryn Shefchik and Victoria Greenwald of Wisconsin; his brother, Thompson Dyke; a niece and nephew; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Vinnie.

Thank you for the many kind words and stories about Bill from those who knew him in Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Madison, and beyond. Thank you to Governor Tommy Thompson for first appointing him to the judgeship he came to treasure. Special thanks to the compassionate nurses and staff of Bloomfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and the staff of Gorgen Funeral Home.