RACINE, Wis. — A family in Racine is coping with the sudden loss of a man they say was a dedicated father, friend, and helper who always brought joy to those around him.
William Dronso died Sunday after telling his family he felt tired and laid down for a nap. Twice, his family checked on him that night. The first time, he was snoring; the second time, he wouldn't wake up.
“There's anger, there's hurt, there's upset, there's scared,” his wife, Alison Dronso, said. “There are so many different levels of things that I can say that I wouldn’t even know where to start other than…why?”
Alison told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin that she fell head over heels for William in 2012. The moment they laid eyes on one another, he took her breath away.
Together, they built a life filled with ups and downs, centered on their partnership.
Watch: Racine family seeks community support following sudden death of father of six
“We always made sure it was solid, and we were solid,” Alison said. “It was a blessing.”
But Sunday, that all changed. Unbeknownst to the Dronso family, the father of six had cardiovascular disease. The full extent of his condition is not yet known to his family.
Despite her grief, Alison is fighting to stay strong for the children, knowing that’s what William would have wanted.
“Everything he did was for his kids,” Alison said.
As she struggles to continue on, without his strength and leadership, Alison is looking to her community for support.
Her mother set up a GoFundMe to help the Dronsos not only manage, with William's sudden absence, but also to lay the father of six to rest.
Alison is already thankful for William's friends and family who have been by her side.
"That’s what William would do for anyone else,” his cousin Justina Medina said. “He would be there for you. He would be there for your family in a time of need.”
Loved ones are brought closer in their shared grief and loving memories of a man they say was there for everyone.
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