WILLIAM J. TACKE, 52, of OCEAN GROVE, died Thursday, January 25, 2007 at The King Manor Care Center, Neptune. Mr. Tacke was the supervising director and cofounder of Model Team LLC, Ocean Grove. He began his career as an international fashion model in L.A., where he was the last male model hand-picked by fashion mogul Wilhelmina. As a model, he worked in Madrid, Milan, Tokyo and Zurich, and across the U.S. Mr. Tacke worked for such clients as Calvin Klein, Commes des Garcons, Anna Sui, J. Crew, Lanvin, Macy's, Halston, Gottex and Givenchy. His extensive career also included magazine covers, national TV commercials, appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laverne and Shirley, Happy Days, National commercial print campaigns, and the ABC Sports national and international Golden Runner symbol of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Mr. Tacke, along with John Merriman had directed and coproduced hundreds of shows in New York and across the U.S. for various designers and clients such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Weight Watchers, Subaru, Kinney Shoes and Dick Clark productions. He will be missed by his beloved dogs, Astrid, Buzz, Steffi, Carmen and Robin. He was looking forward to meeting his dogs Ingrid and Elsa over the Rainbow Bridge. Surviving are his life partner of 22 years, John Merriman, his brother, Robert and his wife Brenda of Council Bluffs, IA, three sisters, Barbara Tacke of Council Bluffs, IA, Beth Black and her husband, Philip of Omaha, NE and Burdine Osborn and her husband Gary of Council Bluffs, IA and his nieces and nephews, Stuart and Jeremy Black, Kelsey and Connor Osborn and Brittany and Bailey Tacke. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church, 805 Pine Street, Asbury Park on Tuesday, January 30th at 10:00 AM. Interment was in Calvary Cemetary, Omaha, Nebraska. Friends were invited to call from 5-8 PM on Monday at the Ocean Grove Memorial Home, 118 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the American Brain Tumor Association, 2720 River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018 or the Monmouth and Ocean County Brain Tumor Support Group, P.O. Box 634, Oakhurst, NJ 07755 would be appreciated.