Obituary: William Anixter

William Anixter, who co-founded the  company that bears his name along with his brother Alan, passed away on May 8. According to a Chicago Tribune obituary, he is survived by his wife, Nancy Ansorg Anixter; his six children: Greg Anixter, Julie Anixter, Carol Anixter, Amy Anixter Scott, Mari Anixter and Jason Max Anixter; and seven grandchildren.  He was the son of Julius “Loving Putty” and Zelda Anixter.

After serving under General George Patton in World War II and winning a Purple Heart, he and his brother Alan started up Anixter brothers with a $10,000 loan from their mother. The Chicago Tribune obituary said: “The company went public in 1967 and grew to approximately 2,000 employees, more than 100 global locations and over $700 million in sales before Bill and his brother sold it to Sam Zell in 1986.  Anixter was also chairman of the board of A-Z Wire & Cable, working with nephew, Jim Anixter, and his good friend Ray Geraci.”