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Category: Obituaries

Peter J. Weix

Wisconsin State Journal

In 2001, Peter was employed with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Plasma Physics Group as a Sr. Instrumentation Technicianologist, working with Madison Symmetric Torus & Big Red Plasma Ball experiments. He was also the group safety officer, implementing safety procedures and life-saving training.

Daniel Richard Grim

Wisconsin State Journal

Daniel worked for 26 years doing research at the Physical Sciences Laboratory as an Electronics Technician for the University of Wisconsin.

Fred M. Newmann

Wisconsin State Journal

During his three-decade career at UW-Madison, Fred’s research focused on school curriculum and reforms that foster critical thinking, civic engagement and more equitable student achievement. He directed the National Center on Effective Secondary Schools and the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools, authoring dozens of research papers, articles and books.

Paul Berg, Nobel biochemist who first spliced DNA, dies at 96

The Washington Post

“It was a reflection of the Vietnam era and earlier history,” Waclaw Szybalski, then a professor and geneticist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, told Science News in 1985. “Physicists were guilty of the atomic bomb, and chemists were guilty of napalm. Biologists were trying very hard to be guilty of something.”

Rebecca Blank, ‘transformational’ former UW-Madison chancellor, dies

The Capital Times

In her near-decade of tenure at UW-Madison, she accelerated the university’s research programs, achieved record-high graduation rates and developed scholarship programs catering to low-income students within the state. Her work also expanded the number of faculty and students, as well as put the campus’ finances back on track after the pandemic brought losses in revenue.

Former UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank dies of cancer at age 67

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

One of the longest-serving chancellors in recent UW-Madison history, Blank is credited with gaining the ability to enroll more out-of-state students, launching a full-tuition scholarship program for low-income Wisconsin students, and leading a $4 billion fundraising campaign. She’s remembered for smaller gestures, too, like bringing commencement back to Camp Randall Stadium.

James “Jim” Edward Lawler

Wisconsin State Journal

Jim received a BS in physics (’73) from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a PhD in physics (’78) from UW Madison. In the two years after earning his doctorate, he was a research associate at Stanford University; he then returned to UW Madison, where he was a professor from 1980-2022 when he retired. He was an atomic, molecular, and optical physicist with a focus developing and applying laser spectroscopic techniques for determining accurate absolute atomic transition probabilities.

James “Jim” Edward Lawler

Wisconsin State Journal

Jim received a BS in physics (’73) from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a PhD in physics (’78) from UW Madison. In the two years after earning his doctorate, he was a research associate at Stanford University; he then returned to UW Madison, where he was a professor from 1980-2022 when he retired.

Joan Leffler

Wisconsin State Journal

In the early 1980s, she worked for the precursor to DOIT at the UW, where she met her lifelong friends Lis Owens and Bernadette Rhiel. From 1991 to her retirement in 2014, Joan served as the Administrator in the German Department at the UW, where she made many friends among the faculty and graduate students, too many really to mention individually.

Louise Ann Fowler

Wisconsin State Journal

She eventually became Program Director in Distance Education Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before retiring in 2013.

John “Jack” Kellesvig

Wisconsin State Journal

Jack began his career as a teacher and principal in the Racine and Madison school districts, but he spent most of his career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was hired as the first Director of High School Relations in 1963. In his 31 years there, he was also Director of Undergraduate Orientation, New Student Services, and Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions. He was instrumental in developing the SOAR program and was Marshall at UW commencement ceremonies for 20 years.

Charles T. Snowdon (Chuck)

Wisconsin State Journal

Chuck (81), “a scholar and fine gentleman” was a Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 44 years. During his tenure, he served as Chair of the Psychology Dept, director of the Honors Program at the College of Letters and Science, editor of major scientific journals, and oversaw several undergrad research symposia.

John H. N. Morledge

Wisconsin State Journal

He taught for years at the UW Medical School. He interviewed applicants who wanted to become doctors, amazing them when he asked more about their views on life and travel and literature than about chemistry or biology.

Roger Head

Wisconsin State Journal

He worked for the University of Wisconsin, Madison within the Physical Plant Department as a U.S. Mail Distributor for 35 years until retirement in January, 2002.

John Eugene Gorman

Wisconsin State Journal

For most of his career, John worked as an entomologist for the USDA at the UW Russell research labs where he further specialized in the study of honeybees. The study of insects was a lifelong passion of his that included beekeeping at home, which provided fresh honey to family and friends for many years.

Grace E. Volkmann

Wisconsin State Journal

Grace worked at General Casualty Insurance for a few years until she found the jobs she loved, being a wife, a mother and being the proverbial part time “Lunch Lady” at both Witte Hall on the UW campus and for many years at Kennedy Elementary School.

Clinton H. East

Wisconsin State Journal

Mr. East worked at the UW School of Library and Information Studies from 1966 until 2000.

Joan Salomejia Burns (Kazalski)

Wisconsin State Journal

In 1974, Joan started her career at the Waisman Center, UW – Madison, eventually becoming a Clinical Professor. She developed the Genetic Counseling Training Program (first graduating class of 1978 at the UW Madison). During her professional career of teaching and promoting she instructed the importance of genetic counseling.

Marilyn Stafford

The Guardian

After the University of Wisconsin, aged 23, she moved to New York to make her name on the stage, but a few months after photographing Einstein, travelled to Paris with a girlfriend. “France was coming out of the war and there were a lot of foreigners in Paris including many expat Americans, so I got to meet lots of people. Looking back, it was a fantastic time. There was just so much energy.”

Paul M. Liss

Wisconsin State Journal

Paul was a graduate of UW-Madison in psychology and continued to work at UW as a Systems Engineering Consultant at the Biotechnology Center. He was a co-author of a number of scientific papers, including one on the metabolism of phytopathogenic enterobacteria.

John H. N. Morledge

Wisconsin State Journal

He taught for years at the UW Medical School. He interviewed applicants who wanted to become doctors, amazing them when he asked more about their views on life and travel and literature than about chemistry or biology. He spoke all over the world about his area of acclaimed expertise. He trained hundreds of doctors, nurses, medical personnel, and was a lifelong mentor to many.

John E. Gorman

Wisconsin State Journal

For most of his career, John worked as an entomologist for the USDA at the UW Russell research labs where he further specialized in the study of honeybees. The study of insects was a lifelong passion of his that included beekeeping at home, which provided fresh honey to family and friends for many years.

Thomas Stanley Stevens

Wisconsin State Journal

After a residency in Retina at the University of Iowa, they moved to Madison, where he worked as a Professor of Ophthalmology at UW Madison Hospital and Clinics for over 44 years.

Jean Dell Bieler Hastings

Wisconsin State Journal

After teaching 5th and 6th grade at Gompers Elementary School for four years, she taught Elementary Science at UW, inspiring teachers to confidently teach science in their classrooms. In 1993, Jean established the Science Teacher’s Scholarship Fund at UW. She also served three year terms on the UW Board of Visitors for the School of Education, and the Board of the Friends of the UW Arboretum.

James Bryson Gilbert, MD

Wisconsin State Journal

After seven years at West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, in 1970, he took a faculty position at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Molecular Biology, where he was largely focused on cancer research.

Joan Salomejia Burns

Wisconsin State Journal

In 1974 Joan started her career at the Waisman Center, UW -Madison, eventually becoming a Clinical Professor. She developed the Genetic Counseling Training Program (first graduating class of 1978 at the UW Madison).

Dale E. Treleven

Wisconsin State Journal

He was a research associate for the UW-Madison Department of Family Medicine and Practice from 1971 to 1974, then was coordinator of the statewide oral history program at the State Historical Society until December 1982.

Gerald Matthew “Jerry” Smith

Wisconsin State Journal

In 1958 he joined the UW Extension Program as Waukesha County Recreation Agent, rising to the position of District Director for the Southern District and Full Professor in the Department of Community Development. Upon his retirement, he was named Professor Emeritus by the UW Board of Regents and commended for Outstanding Service by the governor and legislature of the state of Wisconsin.

Carl Eric “Kidd” Wogsland

Wisconsin State Journal

Carl worked for the University of Wisconsin in various business office roles and in several departments over his career, finishing as a payroll financial specialist at the Nelson Institute.

Richard “Dick” Vilstrup

Wisconsin State Journal

Dick served several years as the State Extension Program Leader in Wisconsin Agricultural Extension and received the Award for Superior Service from the United States Department of Agriculture. He served as a professor at UW Madison in agriculture and marketing for thirty years, specializing in research and also teaching agribusiness and marketing.

Dean William Olsen

Wisconsin State Journal

While at UW, Dean founded and developed LifeMapping, an interactive virtual cartography tool for chronicling one’s personal life journey. At the time of his death, Dean continued his work with LifeMapping and was a UW-Madison Police Department Security Officer.

Carolyn Dawson, PhD, RN

Wisconsin State Journal

Carolyn joined the faculty of the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973, and over the next 25 years provided significant leadership in psychiatric nursing and doctoral nursing education.

Velma Joyce Grace Ritcherson

Wisconsin State Journal

In 1966, she worked in the UW-Extension as a Specialist in the Division of Community Programs, with responsibility for enhancing and expanding partnerships between the University of Wisconsin and four Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She earned a Master’s Degree from the UW-Madison and retired in 1987 as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cooperative Extension Services at the UW-Extension.

Dolores Ann Lichte

Wisconsin State Journal

She became employed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the English Department, which was the largest department in the College of Letters and Sciences at the university. She served six years as Administrative Assistant for the department and the department chairman; three of those years she was also Administrative Assistant for Professor Helen C. White, world-renowned English literature scholar, for whom the Helen C. White Library on the UW-Madison Campus is named. In 1966, Professor White requested that Dolores be given a 20% raise, stating: “She maintains a very cheerful and efficient office. Indeed, she is a fine leader and executive. She has more than earned it.”

Sheila Mary (Macnee) Spear

Wisconsin State Journal

Sheila returned to Wisconsin in 1994, where she became Director of International Student and Scholar Services, until she retired in 2002.

Norbert A. Meier

Wisconsin State Journal

He worked at Rayovac and Graber, then went on to become a machinist at the University of Wisconsin in the Physics and Chemistry departments.

Ernest Irving Hanson

Wisconsin State Journal

They moved to Madison in 1965, when Ernie joined the UW business school faculty. Ernie spent 37 fulfilling years as a faculty member. He was a dedicated and positive teacher as he engaged students at all levels of instruction.

Former Wisconsin football tailback Brent Moss dead at 50

Wisconsin State Journal

Moss was part of the Badgers football program from 1991-94 and was a catalyst for the turnaround led by coach Barry Alvarez. Moss was the team’s leading rusher in 1993 when UW won the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl in Alvarez’s fourth season. Moss’ 158 yards and two touchdowns on the ground helped the Badgers win the program’s first Rose Bowl in 40 years, and earned him game MVP honors. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year that season as well.

Cathy Ann Rasmussen, PhD

Wisconsin State Journal

Cathy dedicated her career to advancing groundbreaking technologies from laboratory to patient, first as a pivotal member of the pioneering team at Stratatech in Madison, WI, and later as Executive Director of the Forward Bio Institute at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was a leader in regenerative medicine and a mentor to many throughout her life.

Arthur Olson Obituary (1923 – 2022)

madison.com

Arthur worked for the University of Wisconsin in Madison about 30 years, and most of that time was spent as a lab technician at the Biochemistry Pilot Plant helping students set up their growth of different microbiology (ex. yeasts and algae) in large growth chambers.

Robert West Obituary (1928 – 2022)

madison.com

Bob pursued his PhD in chemistry at Harvard University before igniting a highly successful career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he became the Eugene G. Rochow Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Organosilicon Research Center.