Category: Obituaries

Dr. Henrik A.L. Hartmann, age 87, died on Friday, Dec. 28, 2007. He was a professor of pathology at UW Hospital with a specialty in neuropathology research.

On nearly every college campus there is a professor whose lectures are legendary.
These professors not only inform but also enlighten. And they do so in such an entertaining fashion that their popularity among students is unmatched.

Lee Dreyfus was like one of those professors.

In fact, he was one of those professors in the 1960s and 1970s at UW-Madison and UW-Stevens Point. But he made a more historic impact later, with the same insightful and colorful manner, in a very public life as governor from 1979 to 1983 and then as newspaper columnist and elder statesman.

Edward A. Fitzhugh, age 65, died on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007. Ed worked for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Planning and Construction Department for 36 years before his retirement in 1999.

Leroy J. Ayers, age 95, of Black Earth, died on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007. He worked building highways and doing road construction, farmed, worked as a carpenter, and retired after working as a custodian at UW-Madison.

Daniel W. Hildebrand, age 67, passed away on Monday, Dec. 31, 2007. Dan earned a B.S. degree (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1962 and a L.L.B. (Order of the Coif; Editor, Wisconsin Law Review) in 1964 from the University of Wisconsin. He had more than 40 years of legal experience, with a major focus in appellate work as well as in all areas of business and professional litigation, and professional ethics matters.  He also taught courses in federal jurisdiction and professional responsibility at the UW Law School for many years.

Frank Rickey, age 93, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. Frank worked for the UW-Madison Painting Department from 1948 until his retirement in 1976.

Duaine Counsell, age 83, of LaCrosse, formerly of Wisconsin Dells and Stevens Point, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2007, at Lutheran Hospital in LaCrosse. He received a masters degree in physical education from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and from Stevens Point. Duaine also was a professor for 31 years at UW Stevens Point.

Adeline M. Siekert, age 90, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007, at the Mid-Michigan Medical Center in Midland, Mich. Adeline was a cook under Carson Gulley at the University of Wisconsin supporting the Navy during World War II.

Donald J. Tremaine, age 82 of Fennimore, died on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at his home. He worked for many years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as a custodian, retiring in 1989.

Family and Friends mourn the unexpected loss of Michael J. Mowers, age 22, on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007. Michael graduated from Homestead High School in 2003 and was currently attending UW-Madison.

Harold W. Helwig, age 69 of Dodgeville, passed into the loving care of the Lord on Friday, Dec. 21, 2007. Early in his career, Harold worked for Madison Newspapers, Gisholt Machine, Company and UW- Madison.

Betty Ann Russo, age 61, celebrated her life to the fullest by leaving this world and joining God on Friday, Dec. 21, 2007. Betty spent over a decade working as both a clinical pediatric nurse in Milwaukee and as an instructor at the UW-Madison School of Nursing.

Paul received a master’s degree from U.W. Madison.

Obituary: UW alumnus Richard F. Trotta.

Robert R. Lavine, age 80, died Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. He was the director of Analytical Chemistry Laboratories at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for more than 30 years.

Rosemary K. (Huemmer) Kubicek, age 79, of Monona, died on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. Rosemary worked at UW Extension Services after high school graduation in 1945.

Albert “Rollie” Buskager, age 78, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. He retired from the University of Wisconsin in the student loan department.

E. Reade Washington Rettig, age 82, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007. She was employed at the general library at the University of Wisconsin for 40 years.

Jane R. Henkel, age 65, died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. In her first career she was a computer programmer at the National Accelerator Lab/Physical Science Lab and then at the University of Wisconsin Computing Center.

Donald S. Ermer died on Thursday morning, Dec. 13, 2007. When he joined the faculty at UW-Madison in 1971, he and his family welcomed the opportunity to return to their alma mater and native state. During the next years, as a member of the ME department at UW-Madison, he established strong and lasting ties with the Far East, especially Singapore. One of his major achievements was helping to establish and promote the State of Wisconsin Forward Award.  Don retired in 2002 from the UW ME and IE departments, where he was Proctor and Gamble Professor in total quality.

Charles Jefferson Hitt, age 72, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007. He served as a researcher in Library Science and Evaluation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Patricia Elizabeth Sullivan, age 81, of Monona, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. Patricia worked for the University of Wisconsin in continuing education from 1968 until her retirement in 1991.

Langdon Divers, age 105, died on Dec. 9, 2007. In the mid 1950s he joined the University of Wisconsin Department of Botany, where he was involved in the early use of the electron microscope and created some of the equipment for penicillin research and DNA studies.

LeAnn M. Feiter, age 45, died on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007. She worked at University Hospital and UW Medical Foundation.

Shirley E. Simmons, age 75, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. After her children were grown, she spent several years working at University Hospital School of Medicine.

Raphael D. “Ray” Wagner , age 94, passed away on Friday, Dec. 7, 2007. Most of his life was spent teaching mathematics in elementary school, high school, and with the University of Wisconsin Extension Centers in Green Bay, Marinette, and the University of Wisconsin Extension Division in Madison. He is a retired professor emeritus of mathematics.

Daniel Lee “Dano” Eckert, age 48, of Fitchburg, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. He moved to Madison, in 1985, where he began a job at the University Hospital and clinics as a peer mentor for new spinal cord injury patients. He then went back to school to receive his master’s degree in rehabilitation psychology and continued to be employed at UWHC, as a rehabilitation counselor until August 2007, after 22 years of service.

Jeremy J. Benton, age 61, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. He served as both a teacher and consultant to Unitarian Universalist organizations and the University of Wisconsin.

Violet Elizabeth Nielsen, age 99, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. She worked as a secretary in mechanical engineering at UW-Madison from 1926 until 1935. From 1952 until 1955, Violet worked in the Botany Department UW-Madison. From 1955 until 1962, she was the Department Secretary for the Geology Department. In 1962, she became the Department Secretary for the Scandinavian Department of UW-Madison, where she remained until her retirement in December 1976.

Hubert F. Ripp, age 97, died on Friday, Dec. 7, 2007. Hubert was employed at the University of Wisconsin in the Ag and Life Science Department for over 46 years, and retired in 1976.

Duwaine Stretsbery, age 81, of Waunakee died peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. Duwaine retired from UW-Madison Grounds Department in l988 following 37 years of service.

Ruth Elizabeth (Richardson) Freeman, age 81, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007. Ruth worked at UW-Madison for 26 years in the Graduate School of Business as an assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School of Business.

Dr. Katherine Kulak, age 45, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007. Kathy completed both her internship and fellowship from UW-Madison under the guidance of her mentor, Dr. Dennis Maki.

Wally Welker died on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Wally was an internationally renowned neuroanatomist and professor emeritus in the department of physiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Lola A. Reddeman, age 95, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Except for several years during World War II, Lola worked as an operating room nurse at University Hospital from 1934 until 1974.

Paul S. Donhauser, age 71, passed away at home on November 22, 2007. Paul taught design and ceramics at UW-Oshkosh until 2004. During 40 years with the University of Wisconsin system, he touched countless lives including students and colleagues.

Betty G. Hrovat died Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Trained to be a teacher, she also worked for the University Residence Halls.

As Peter Bosscher sat in his home two weeks ago, painfully ceding the last of his life to kidney cancer, the engineer was thinking about sewage in the streets.

The 53-year-old UW-Madison professor was talking to two students planning sewer and water projects in El Salvador and Ecuador to prevent sickness and better villagers ‘ health. Bosscher, their mentor, was sure they needed one last computer file.

Donald “Mac” McGibbon, age 90, died peacefully Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. He was a test coordinator with the UW-Madison from 1976 until 1985.

Richard Max Shackelford, age 92, emeritus professor of Genetics and Meat and Animal Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007.

Peter Bosscher passed away Sunday morning, Nov. 18, 2007. He taught civil and environmental engineering at the UW-Madison. In 2002, he initiated a chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at UW-Madison.

Mary Jane Poole Anderson, age 65, of Madison, formerly of Richland Center, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007. She moved to Madison in 1981 and worked for the University of Wisconsin for 24 years until her illness forced her to retire.

Phyllis R. Olson passed away on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007. For many years she worked at the UW in the Neuropsychology Dept. as a secretary for Dr. Mathews.

Jerald Tyrrell “Jerry” Teesdale died on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007, at age 82. After his retirement, Jerry volunteered to tutor English as a second language for children of international students at the University of Wisconsin.

LaVerne Odell Paulson, age 81, of Madison, died on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007. In the 1980s he worked at the University of Wisconsin in housekeeping, and then worked as property book supply officer for the R.O.T.C. program at the UW-Madison.

Marie E. (Kahl) Becker passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, at age 96. After moving to Madison, she worked in food service, catering for Rennebohm stores and later she became supervisor of food for the University of Wisconsin.

Kathleen Cecelia (Kons) Oriedo, age 63, of Madison, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007. Kathleen had many careers including teaching, social work and most recently in administration with UW-Madison Asian-American Studies Program.

Dr. James M. “Mac” Wilkie, age 92, died Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007. Mac joined the staff of the UW Medical School in the 1940s and worked with Dr. Middleton to create a health program for the city of Madison.

Willard Logan Fry, age 91, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007. Willard was a custodian at the UW-Madison in the biochemistry department and retired in 1981.

Grace M. Bolan died on Friday, Nov. 16, 2007, at the age of 90. She worked at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in the dietary department. Later, she obtained a position with the University of Wisconsin-Madison registration department, where she worked for 22 years, retiring in 1983.

Gloria M. Vogel Lehman, age 56, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007. Gloria worked at UW-Madison for many years, most recently in the Bursar’s Office.

Samuel Leonard, a Cornell University professor whose pioneering work in reproductive endocrinology in the 1930s led to development of the birth control pill, died Nov. 12 at his home, just four days before his 102nd birthday.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 1927 and both his master’s (1929) and doctoral (1931) degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

John Anthony “Jack” Gray, died on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007, at the HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg. From 1975 until 1990, Jack was the marketing specialist for the Recreation Resources Center for the University of Wisconsin – Extension, Madison.

Otto Festge, 86, mayor of Madison for two terms in the 1960s, died Sunday. Born on a family farm near Cross Plains, Festge’s early career was in music. He majored in music at UW-Madison and served for a time as concertmaster for the UW Symphony Orchestra.

Jean S. Comstock passed away in Madison on Monday, Oct. 29, 2007. She recently retired from the UW-Madison Department of Afro-American Studies as a Student Services Coordinator and was awarded emeritus status, a rare honour for non-academic staff.

Jerry L. Maynard, age 65, of southern Door County, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, as result of a pulmonary embolism, following surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. His career as an electrician began immediately after high school with Knudson Electric in Mineral Point, Lubckes in Middleton and continued in a 35-year love affair with the UW-Madison campus, where he began as an electrical journeyman, retiring as supervisor of the Electric Shop.

Hermine Sauthoff Davidson, 97, died Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007, peacefully in her home in Madison. She was one of the first graduates of the University of Wisconsin Modern Dance program in 1932, guided by Margaret H’Doubler.

Walter J. Blaedel died Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, in Middleton, at Harbor House Assisted Living. Professor Blaedel taught in the Analytical Division of the UW-Madison Chemistry Department from 1947 until 1982.

Frederick H. Burkhardt, a prominent educator who headed both the American Council of Learned Societies and Bennington College and also helped put the open-admissions policy into effect at the City University of New York, died on Sept. 23 at his home in Bennington, Vt. He was 95.

Mr. Burkhardt began his career teaching in the philosophy department at the University of Wisconsin in 1937.