Papke died on November 27, 1936 by suicide, after first killing his wife. The violent incident may have been a result of undiagnosed brain dementia suffered from years of trauma in the ring. It occurred at his wife Edna's residence on Balboa Island, part of Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles in Southern California. Papke was disappointed about his wife's recent divorce and was hoping for a reconciliation. Both he and his wife were buried at Mt. View Cemetery in Altadena, California, slightly North of Pasadena and Los Angeles. He left three sons with whom he lived, Robert, Clifford, and William A. Papke Jr.