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Boot firm president Danner dies

By Andrew Theen, The Oregonian
Published: January 2, 2017, 6:05am

Bill Danner, the longtime president of the Portland-based boot manufacturer that still bears his name decades after he sold it, died Christmas Eve at his home in Milwaukie, Ore. He was 97.

Danner’s death comes a few weeks after his wife of more than six decades, Miriam, died at 96. He is survived by seven children, 19 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Danner, one son said Thursday, will be remembered as a family man who looked after others first, including when he and his brother took over the struggling Danner Shoe Mfg. Company in 1945 and transformed it into the iconic brand it is today.

“Being in the shoe business was not something he picked out,” said Bill Crary Jr., one of Danner’s three adopted children, who worked for years at the family business before starting his own shoe company in Portland. “Somebody had to do it, so he did it. That’s the kind of guy that he was.”

He and his brother, John Danner, took over the company from their father Charles after returning from World War II. Bill Danner eventually bought out his brother’s stake and led Danner to tremendous growth, eventually selling the brand in 1983 to businessman Eric Merk.

In 1994, LaCrosse Footwear Inc. bought Danner. Japanese footwear company ABC-Mart bought the businesses in 2012. Danner still operates out of its Portland headquarters.

Laurie Thomas, Director of Marketing for LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. said in a statement the company was saddened to hear about Danner’s death. “It is his commitment to quality and craftsmanship that is at the heart of the Danner brand,” she said.

“If not for his vision and high standards, we would not be the company we are today. We honor his legacy and celebrate a very long and successful life, measured in lives touched and miles explored. Our best wishes go out to the entire Danner family.”

William Charles Danner was born in Chippewa Falls, Wis., in 1919, where his father founded the family company. Charles Danner moved it to Portland in 1936, four years after starting the business, according to Danner’s website.

Bill Danner graduated from the University of Portland before fighting in WWII, Crary Jr. said. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew in B-17s, where he operated the top turret gunning station on dozens of missions out of North Africa.

The family was not confident Bill would make it to Christmas when Miriam died Nov. 4, Crary Jr. said. They were right; he died Dec. 24.

A memorial is scheduled Feb. 5 at Willamette View assisted living center in Milwaukie, Ore., from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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