William Harvey

Vincent Clift

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and uncle, "Will." William Harvey Vincent Clift, 23, Lake Mills, unexpectedly went home to be with the Lord on Friday, February 12, 2021, at his home.

He was born on August 16, 1997 in Fort Atkinson, the son of Jim and Sonya (Hughes) Clift. Will was baptized into the family of Christ in Rock Lake in August of 2007 with his two brothers and sister in the presence of Real Hope Community Church.

Will graduated from Lake Mills High School in 2016, was a state finalist in forensics every year of his participation receiving multiple awards, and was a member of the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth (WCATY). He was most recently employed by the Dollar General store in Lake Mills as he awaited the next chapter in his life.

Everyone who truly knew Will remembers his highly intelligent, free-thinking spirit, and uniqueness that didn't fit into a societal box. He had a bright, witty humor accompanied by an infectious, gut-busting laugh. He enjoyed music, international culture and languages, travel adventures, and administering a large Facebook group that he created. This group, which he organized on his own, was dedicated to making people laugh and smile daily and grew to a participation of over 31,000 members. Not once did Will any seek recognition for this remarkable accomplishment. Will had a special love for all animals, especially bears and dogs. Will made us all laugh on his very last Facebook post. He said "I want a pet bear more than you can imagine. I CAN and WILL risk my life to hug the fluffy danger bois." Will showed extraordinary resilience in his lifelong struggle to find peace and respite within his mind right to his final day. Those who truly knew him loved and appreciated his unique sincerity, acceptance, and candor. As a statement of his quiet faith, a recent post that Will made to his Facebook group read, "…and from that singular moment forward, I have never once stopped being a Christian. God unironically loves all y'all kings even if you don't love him. Thx for reading."

Survivors include his parents, Jim of Lake Mills, Sonya Hughes of Houston, TX; siblings, David James "DJ" of Lake Mills, Brett Mitchell (Jessica Maria) of Sun Prairie, Jessica Elizabeth of Port Edwards; nephew, Archer Holden; paternal grandparents, David and Audrey Clift formerly of La Farge; maternal grandmother, Carmen Avila of Houston, TX; Aunt, Deb (Clift) Ham of Pardeeville, Uncle, Mark of La Farge, many relatives in Wisconsin and Texas, and many friends, both online and in-person.

To honor Will's selfless, inward personality and what he would have wanted, a small, private family celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, February 27 at Real Hope Community Church. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Will Clift Memorial Fund at https://tinyurl.com/willclift