William Michael Welter was born Nov. 18, 1944, in Evanston, to Frances and Roy Welter. Raised in Evanston throughout his childhood, Welter’s parents were devout members of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
He sang in the boys’ choir and graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1962. Welter graduated cum laude from Missouri Valley College in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. He was a proud member and president of Sigma Nu fraternity.
Due to his innate ability to think outside the box, Welter was hired by the Leo Burnett ad agency in Chicago as the youngest client service executive overseeing successful campaigns with Schlitz Beer and Kentucky Fried Chicken, to name a few. In 1974, Welter moved to Needham, Harper & Steers, where he led the General Mills, Betty Crocker and McDonald’s accounts.
In 1981 Welter joined Wendy’s corporate offices in Columbus, Ohio, as senior vice president of Marketing. Welter was the driving force in the creation and implementation of the “Where’s the Beef” campaign, a timeless phrase that is still part of our current lexicon.
In the late 1980s, Welter partnered with Jack Haunty to form their own advertising agency, Haunty and Welter. Welter then went on to lead successful campaigns at Heartland Foods before beginning his next venture in Las Vegas.
Welter became a franchisee of Buffalo Wild Wings, successfully establishing nine locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Although part of a large corporation, it was a family business at heart. After many thriving years, Welter and his wife, Pam, retired to Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
While successful in his own right, Welter never lost sight of the importance of giving back to the communities in which he lived. In Columbus, he started Santa’s Silent Helpers, an organization that provides food, clothing and gifts to families and seniors in need. It is truly amazing how something that started so small has now grown leaps and bounds as the organization recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Welter dedicated his charitable efforts to the first responder and military communities. These efforts continued well after Welter left Las Vegas and remained important to him for the rest of his life.
Since retiring to Door County, Welter served on the board of the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation, was a faithful donor to Door County Medical Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Door County and supported the local arts through Peninsula Players and Third Avenue Playhouse. He also became an ordained minister, performing more than 200 marriages with every service fee being donated to the Door County Humane Society. While not raising money for various causes, Welter enjoyed fishing and golfing in his spare time.
Welter is survived by his wife, Pam (Bassett) of over 51 years, their two children, Barclay Martin of Austin, Texas, Robert M. (Kelly) Welter, of Nashville, and two grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Betsy (Welter) Wilson and Martha (Welter) Tennett.
Services are pending and will be announced by the family at a later date. Online condolences may be posted at Forbes Funeral Home of Sturgeon Bay.