Looking back: 2009's noteworthy deaths in the Green Bay area - [includes former Green Bay Packers players]
Hoodoo
Press-Gazette � December 30, 2009
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091230/GPG0101/91229131/1207/GPG01
Two former Congressmen -- the Rev. Robert Cornell and Jay Johnson --
were among the noteworthy people from the Green Bay area who died in
2009. This list is compiled from obituaries and news stories published
in the Press-Gazette and from other sources.
January
Dale Livingston, 63, Jan. 5. The Green Bay Packers� kicker in 1970. He
kicked the winning field goal in the Packers� first appearance on
�Monday Night Football.� He was a teacher and coach in Freedom schools
after his NFL career ended.
Rick Whitt, 73, Jan. 7. A popular personality on WNFL (1440 AM) radio
from 1965 to 1978, hosting the �Viewpoint� and �Whitt �n� Whatever�
call-in shows. He also acted with Green Bay Community Theater and served
on Green Bay Welfare Commission.
Kenneth LeFevre, 56, Jan. 18. He was Luxemburg�s police chief for 20
years and a member of the department for 22 years.
Jerry Koeppen, 82, Jan. 19. A real estate agent in Green Bay for 51
years, he helped found what is now the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay.
Long active in the community, he won the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce�s
Daniel Whitney Award as an outstanding volunteer in 2000.
February
Christine �Rissy� Burke Nelson, 74, Feb. 2. A Green Bay native, she
acted in early live television programs and on the stage in New York and
Los Angeles.
Orbert Garsow, 83, Feb. 13. One of Brown County�s most prominent farmers
for more than 50 years. He and his wife, Eunice, had a registered
Holstein dairy operation on the Garsow homestead farm on Williams Grant
Drive in the town of Lawrence.
Carol Daniels, 77, Feb. 15. A secretary for the Packers� coaching staff
for 38 years, from 1958 to 1996.
Andrew Bourland, Feb. 16. The son of a Methodist minister, he grew up in
Allouez in the 1960s and early 1970s and became one of the nation�s top
Internet entrepreneurs. He was in his early 50s when he died in Reading,
Mass.
March
Dave Pureifory, 59, March 5. The Packers� starting right defensive
tackle from 1974 to 1977. He was drafted in the sixth round in 1972 and
played in 78 games over six seasons. He also was the Packers� emergency
kicker for two games in 1975.
Brian Hunter, 69, March 7. A Green Bay businessman who helped revive
amateur baseball in the Green Bay area in the late 1990s when he founded
the Green Bay Billy�s. He also helped develop the disc golf course at
Baird Creek Park in the late 1990s.
John Mead, 48, March 12. Served two terms as president of the Green
Bay-Bay Area Bowling Association and was inducted into its hall of fame
in 2006.
Rod Billerbeck, 83, March 18. Known as �Chief,� he coached baseball at
Gibraltar High School in Door County for 41 years and led the Vikings to
the state Class C championship in 1979. That year, he became a charter
member of the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Wallace Buerschinger, 88, March 19. Green Bay native returned to his
hometown after a long, distinguished Navy career, was active in
community organizations and helped develop the Villa West senior housing
project on the city�s west side.
Earline �Lee� Bock, 64, March 26. Children�s librarian at De Pere,
Central and Pulaski branches; teacher and staff member in Kimberly,
Seymour and Pulaski schools; author of a bilingual children�s book;
actress and puppeteer in children�s theater; and adjunct instructor of
literature at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Gus Cifelli, 84, March 26. A starting tackle for the Packers in 1953,
the only season he played in Green Bay. He played in all 12 games that
season.
Doris Madigan, 83, March 31. Spent 40 years as secretary of Feeco
International, a town of Scott manufacturing company founded by her
husband, James, in 1951. A longtime member of the Board of Visitors at
the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, she was active in many other
educational, community and church-based organizations.
April
Peter Naze, 66, April 1. Spent 20 years as a Brown County Circuit Court
judge, retiring in 2008. Started his career as an assistant district
attorney in Brown County from 1972 to 1975, then was in private practice
before serving as district attorney from 1977 to 1987.
Harold Rentmeester, 81, April 1. He and his wife, Florence, owned and
operated Beverly Gardens, a popular dance and banquet hall on Pine Grove
Road northeast of Denmark, for 31 years.
Daniel Shea, 80, April 2. A pediatrician in the Green Bay area for 33
years, he was one of 10 physicians who founded the old Beaumont Clinic
in Allouez in 1965. He left his practice in 1990 to become president of
the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Jean Smith Coward Mason, 91, April 9. The Green Bay native and Green Bay
East High School alumna�s family planned and donated $105,000 for the
new bandstand in St. James Park. It was dedicated in June 2002 to honor
their mother, Mildred Ruth Smith.
Dwight Hood, 64, April 9. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive tackle from
Baylor was one of the Packers� two fifth-round draft choices in 1967. He
didn�t make the team.
Lawrence Vanden Heuvel, 85, April 13. Ran the old Larry Van�s Bay Bowl
and Northside Lanes in Green Bay and co-founded Willow Creek Lanes in
Bellevue. Inducted to the Green Bay Bowling Association Hall of Fame in
1980. Also was a former Green Bay alderman and Preble town treasurer.
Tim Quigley, 68, April 17. Founded Bayfest summer festival in 1981 to
raise money for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay athletics. Was sports
information director and promotions director at UWGB for 25 years.
Worked with American Civil Liberties Union to establish equal housing
standards in Green Bay in late 1960s and early 1970s.
Lois Lacenski, 83, April 21. Hired by coach Vince Lombardi, she was the
secretary to the Green Bay Packers� player personnel staff for 23 years.
David Fountain, 89, April 28. Long active in community organizations, he
was a partner in the Green Bay accounting firm of Jonet and Fountain for
more than 40 years. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II,
spending seven months as a German prisoner of war and escaping a week
before the war ended in Europe. He received a Bronze Star in 1993.
May
Roberta VanLaanen, 90, May 1. A prominent artist and advocate for the
arts in Green Bay and Door County, she founded the Art Market Gallery in
Ephraim. She also was one of the area�s top women golfers.
Bill Hurrle, 68, May 2. A reporter for alternative and mainstream
newspapers in eastern Wisconsin in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he
also was a longtime advocate for the environment. The New Franken
resident was an expert on energy-efficient home construction and
received several awards for his work.
W.P. Buss, 84, May 2. Owned the W.P. Buss and Sons car dealership in
Shawano from 1974 to 1991, when he sold it to two of his sons. Buss and
his family also owned and operated the Limestone Castle supper club just
east of Shawano for 20 years.
Don Richter, 63, May 7. A longtime choral music teacher at Abbot
Pennings High School in De Pere and Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, he
also was organist at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay for 31 years.
The Rev. Robert Cornell, 89, May 10. The Norbertine priest represented
Northeastern Wisconsin�s 8th District in the U.S. House of
Representatives from 1975 to 1979. A Democrat, he was only the second
Catholic priest elected to Congress. He also taught at St. Norbert and
Abbot Pennings high schools and St. Norbert College in De Pere. Cornell
also promoted rock and country music shows in the 1960s and 1970s.
Prudence Doxtator, 93, May 21. A longtime member of the Oneida Indian
Singers, she performed with the group across the United States. She also
worked for years as a librarian at the Oneida Library.
Deanna Sundstrom, 41, May 25. She taught math and computer science at
Green Bay Preble High School from 1997 to 2009. She was an adviser to
the school�s Sting Cancer group and had battled lieomyosarcoma, a rare
cancer of the soft tissues, for six years. In December 2008, she was
honored by the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes as one of
Green Bay�s Women of Courage.
Jack Koeppler, 82, May 25. A retired insurance executive, the Green Bay
native was a member of the Green Bay Packers� board of directors from
1975 until his death. He was one of the area�s top golfers in the 1960s
and often played with Packers coach Vince Lombardi, who was a close friend.
Bernard McKeough, 79, May 25. A member of the Brown County Sheriff�s
Department for 22 years until his retirement in 1987. He helped found
the county�s first undercover drug unit and was chief investigator for
drug and juvenile crime cases.
Stuart Stiles, 93, May 25. The retired president and CEO of
Morley-Murphy Co., one of Green Bay�s oldest businesses, he long was
active in the community. He was a charter member of the Founders
Association at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and served on the
boards of Bellin Memorial Hospital and the Salvation Army of Brown County.
Emery Kroening, 91, May 30. A photographer for the Green Bay
Press-Gazette from 1937 to 1982, he took more than 10,000 photos during
his 41-year career. During World War II, he was a photographer in an
Army Air Corps unit led by actor Ronald Reagan.
David Pozniak, 57, May 31. The Missouri native worked for Schreiber
Foods for 34 years and was named president and chief executive officer
of the Green Bay-based company in October 2007. He served on the boards
of the Green Bay Area YMCA, Curative Rehabilitation and Neighborhood
Housing Services.
Elaine White, 89, May 31. A Green Bay native, White and her husband, Al,
owned and operated White�s Club, a tavern on Green Bay�s east side, from
1957 to 1991.
June
Peter Chapman, 65, June 6. He was executive director of the National
Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon from 2002 to 2006.
Rev. Robert C. Vande Hey, 84, June 10. The Hollandtown native was a
biology professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere from 1955 to 1989.
Edwin Stephan, 87, June 10. The Sturgeon Bay native was Door County
district attorney in the 1960s, then served for 20 years as Door County
judge and another 10 years as a reserve judge, retiring in the late 1990s.
Elizabeth Wacek, 79, June 15. She was a social studies teacher at
Algoma, Ashwaubenon and De Pere high schools.
Marcella Shaw, 98, June 17. After running a Tomah store for more than 30
years, she earned a degree in special education. She accepted a job at
Whitney School in Green Bay � but only after requesting and receiving a
Green Bay Packers season ticket. After retiring from teaching, she
became director of volunteers for the Bellin Hospital gift shop.
Margaret Leicht, 93, June 20. In 1999, Leicht and her son Russ donated
2� acres of land for Leicht Memorial Park on the west bank of the Fox
River in downtown Green Bay. The parcel � the site of the original Fort
Howard, the first permanent building in Green Bay � was next to the
Leicht Transfer & Storage Co. warehouse, one of the family�s businesses.
Rev. Edward Krueger, 101, June 23. He was pastor of First Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Green Bay for 31 years, from 1946 to 1977. He
supervised construction of a new church building on South Monroe Avenue.
It was dedicated in 1957.
Mary Wahlers, 77, June 27. She was chairman of the Brown County
Democratic Party in the late 1980s and a former president of the League
of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay. She was an aide to U.S. Rep.
Robert Cornell in the late 1970s and state Sen. Jerome Van Sistine in
the early 1980s. She also served on the state Commission on the Status
of Women.
Steven Drees, 19, June 28. The Army private from Peshtigo died of
injuries sustained June 24 in a battle in Konar Province, Afghanistan.
July
Dr. George V. Hering, 89, July 6. He was a physician in Denmark for 52
years, taking over his uncle�s practice in 1946 and working until
retiring in 1998. He also was chief of staff at St. Vincent and Bellin
hospitals in Green Bay. He raised, trained and raced harness horses and
helped found the Denmark Little League in 1957.
Rev. Le Roy Remmers, 73, July 6. He was pastor at St. John Lutheran
Church in De Pere from 1967 to 1975 and again from 1994 to 2000,
chaplain and development coordinator at Woodside Lutheran Home in
Ashwaubenon from 1975 to 1981, pastor at Calvary Lutheran Church in
Green Bay from 1981 to 1985. He helped develop the Woodside Oaks
Retirement Complex in Ashwaubenon. He also was the first
secretary-treasurer of the De Pere Housing Authority and a president of
the Brown County Mental Health Association.
Pat Lawrence, 78, July 14. A Green Bay native, she was the first woman
to become a lieutenant and a captain in the Green Bay Police Department.
She worked with juveniles for most of her 29-year career, from 1962 to 1991.
Clif Harmann, 76, July 17. In 1959, Harmann and his younger brother
Wayne founded Harmann Studios in Algoma. The photography business
eventually expanded to Green Bay, Luxemburg and Sturgeon Bay. Clif
Harmann retired in 1997.
Jim Reinke, 73, July 17. He was the first football coach at Green Bay
Southwest High School, serving from 1964 to 1968 and from 1971 to 1981.
He was voted Fox River Valley Conference coach of the year in 1975. He
later was vice principal at Green Bay Preble High School.
Dorothy Mancheski, 83, July 25. An early advocate for special education
in Brown County, she taught developmentally disabled students at Donovan
and Syble Hopp schools for 33 years, retiring in 1989.
Leo DeGreef, 78, July 29. The Green Bay native was a career Army soldier
who became an advocate for disabled veterans. Paralyzed from the waist
down while serving in the Green Berets in Vietnam in 1968, he lobbied
for parking areas for people with disabilities while a student at the
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, then was UWGB�s veterans affairs
officer after graduating in 1973. He was honored by the Disabled
American Veterans of Wisconsin as the outstanding disabled veteran of
the year in 1974.
August
Dr. David A. Cofrin, 85, Aug. 11. A Green Bay native, he was an heir to
the Fort Howard Paper Corp. fortune. His father, Austin E. Cofrin,
founded the company. David Cofrin, a physician in Gainesville, Fla., and
his wife, Mary Ann, were longtime supporters of the University of
Wisconsin-Green Bay. Their gifts helped build the Cofrin Memorial
Arboretum, the Weidner Center and a new classroom building named for
Mary Ann Cofrin. The university library is named for David Cofrin.
Earl Georgia, 81, Aug. 13. A longtime bowling coach at Riviera Lanes on
Green Bay�s northeast side, he was inducted into the Green Bay Bowling
Association Hall of Fame in 1986.
Jack Williams, 82, mid-August. He worked for Green Bay Packaging for
more than 40 years, moving to Green Bay in 1964 as a sales manager, then
becoming general manager in 1967 and senior vice president in 1988.
Walter Christensen, 82, Aug. 17. After retiring to Door County in 1980,
he and his wife Lois ran the Christensen Art Gallery. He and his son
Chris had a stock car and drag racing team that competed at tracks in
Sturgeon Bay, Luxemburg and throughout the Midwest.
Jeff Eastman, 59, Aug. 21. A painter by trade, he was a longtime youth
sports coach in Green Bay and helped establish the city�s first girls
softball field, at the end of Emilie Street on the east side.
Everett Johnson, 87, Aug. 21. After moving to the Green Bay area in
1971, Johnson and his wife, Marguerite, became the first on-site
managers of the DePaul Homes for homeless families. He also was
president of St. Vincent de Paul in Green Bay. In 1995, the Johnsons
received a Gaudium Et Spes award from the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay
for their community work.
Judy Truttmann, 71, Aug. 22. A nursing instructor, she helped start the
pharmacology program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. She and
her husband Royal owned Truttmann Hardware on Green Bay�s east side and
Truttmann Hearth Ware in Ledgeview.
Dr. Jon Caldwell, 54, Aug. 22. In 1981, he co-founded Eye and Vision
Clinics, which grew to have offices in De Pere and Luxemburg.
Melvin Kuske, 69, Aug. 24. He owned Seymour Beverage for 41 years. It
was among the nation�s last beverage makers to use glass bottles instead
of cans.
Michael Peltier, 43, Aug. 25. Widely known as a master of ceremonies at
Indian pow wows, he also was an accomplished traditional drummer.
Zeke Diamond, 35, Aug. 25. A member of a family known for its beadwork,
he also was an accomplished dancer at Indian pow wows.
Robert Langan, 69, Aug. 27. The Yonkers, N.Y., native spent 29 years
with the Green Bay Police Department, finishing his career as police
chief from 1991 to 1995.
Estelle Meyer, 78, Aug. 29. She served home-cooked meals to Green Bay
Packers players in the late 1960s and early 1970s, starting with her
close friend, defensive tackle Bob Brown.
Kenneth Hunsader, 70, Aug. 30. An engineer by trade, he served as a
deacon at Catholic churches in Green Bay, Namur, Sturgeon Bay and
Brussels and at Door County Memorial Hospital in Sturgeon Bay for 27
years, from 1982 to 2009.
Isabel Beaudoin, 87, Aug. 31. She was an art teacher for more than 30
years in Green Bay public schools and at Green Bay Vocational School and
St. Norbert College. She ran a gallery in Fish Creek, where she
displayed her artwork.
September
John Stephens, 43, Sept. 1. A running back who played in five games for
the Packers in 1993. He was killed when his pickup truck left a highway
and hit some trees near Shreveport, La.
Robert Micksch, 84, Sept. 8. A Green Bay native, he was an accountant
and treasurer at the Green Bay Correctional Institution in Allouez for
41 years, retiring in 1987.
Woodrow Webster, 96, Sept. 11. The former Oneida tribal chairman was
long active in the Oneida community.
The Rev. John Van Der Horst, 77, Sept. 11. The Kaukauna native was
associate pastor at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Green Bay for 12
years (1968-77 and 1979-82), pastor of St. Mary Church in De Pere from
1977 to 1979 and associate pastor at SS. Peter and Paul Church in Green
Bay from 1982 to 2002.
Don Schlies, 79, Sept. 15. The Stangelville native led the Don Schlies
Band for more than 52 years and received a lifetime achievement award
from the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame in 2006.
Randy Johnson, 65, Sept. 17. He finished an 11-year pro career by
playing quarterback in three games for the Packers at the end of the
1976 season. He started once, leading Green Bay to a 24-20 victory over
his former team, the Falcons, in the season finale in Atlanta.
Bob Kowalkowski, 65, Sept. 17. After spending 11 seasons with the
Detroit Lions, he finished his NFL career by playing four games as a
backup guard for the Green Bay Packers in 1977.
Tom Hoppe, 72, Sept. 20. A disc jockey and announcer at WDUZ (1400 AM)
radio in Green Bay for much of his 40-year career, he also was pastor of
Central Church of Christ for more than 40 years.
Tony Kuick, 56, Sept. 21. The director of communications for the
Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, he worked for the diocese for 34 years.
2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach, 21, services held Sept. 23. The Green
Bay native served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was lost
in action over Papua New Guinea on Nov. 20, 1943. His remains were
recovered and returned to his family almost 66 years later.
David Wingert, 78, Sept. 24. He was principal at Bay Port High School in
Howard for 20 years, retiring in 1988.
October
Joseph Mettner, 45, Oct. 3. The De Pere native was appointed to the
state Public Service Commission in 1999 and was its chairman when he
left in 2003 to go into private business.
Charles Hawley, 66, Oct. 4. He spent 29 years with the Green Bay Police
Department, retiring as a captain in 1995.
Michael Eland, 91, Oct. 5. A Luxemburg native, he owned and operated
Eland Electric in Green Bay for many years.
Jerry McCormick, 88, Oct. 9. The first principal at Green Bay Southwest
High School when it opened in 1964, he retired from the Green Bay School
District as director of secondary education in 1982.
Michael McDermid, 60, Oct. 9. He founded McDermid Transportation in
Oconto Falls, his hometown. He also served two terms on the Oconto Falls
City Council.
Bobby Jackson, 73, Oct. 12. A halfback from Alabama, he was one of the
Packers� seventh-round draft picks in 1959. He was cut before the
season. He played for Philadelphia in 1960 and helped tackle Packers
fullback Jim Taylor on the last play of the NFL championship game, which
was won by the Eagles.
Margaret Nelson, 87, Oct. 15. She was an active member and supporter of
many community organizations while living in Green Bay from 1951 to 2002.
Jay Johnson, 66, Oct. 17. A news anchor at two Green Bay TV stations
from 1980 to 1996, he was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1996,
representing Northeastern Wisconsin�s 8th Congressional District. He
served one term in the House, then was director of the U.S. Mint for two
years.
Marie Van Deurzen, 71, Oct. 17. A Green Bay native, she and her husband
Bob owned and operated Van Deurzen Cleaners in De Pere from 1970 to 1998.
Helen Bie, 84, Oct. 23. A prominent Republican Party activist in Brown
County and Wisconsin for almost 30 years, the De Pere native served on
the Republican National Committee from 1980 to 1992 and co-chaired
Ronald Reagan�s presidential campaigns in Wisconsin in 1976, 1980 and 1984.
Robert E. Lee, 84, Oct. 25. A longtime civil engineer, the Green Bay
native founded the Robert E. Lee & Associates engineering consulting
firm in Green Bay in 1956. He was among the surveyors when new City
Stadium, now Lambeau Field, was built in 1957.
Forest Evashevski, 91, Oct. 29. The University of Iowa coach interviewed
for the Packers� head coaching job in January 1959, then decided he
didn�t want to leave college football. The Packers then hired New York
Giants assistant coach Vince Lombardi.
Lon Simon, 43, Oct. 29. The Green Bay native was a bass player for
several local bands, including Jet Screamer, Primal Instinct and Dracon.
Daniel Beisel, 93, Oct. 31. The second publisher of the Green Bay
Press-Gazette, he retired in 1980 after the newspaper was sold to
Gannett Co. He joined the Press-Gazette in 1946 and was named publisher
in 1963. He also was active in the community, chairing the Gregby
Committee on downtown redevelopment in the late 1960s, and served on the
Packers� board of directors from 1968 to 2007.
November
Robert Roloff, 78, Nov. 2. The retired president and board chairman of
Roloff Manufacturing Corp. of Kaukauna, he moved to the Green Bay area
in 1991.
Bernard �Bud� Paruleski, 77, Nov. 3. After a long career as an urban
planner with the city of Green Bay, he retired in 1994 as executive
director of the Green Bay-Brown County Planning Commission. He then
served on the city Redevelopment Authority.
The Rev. Albin Veszelovszky, 88, Nov. 4. The Norbertine priest came to
the United States from Hungary in 1948. He taught at St. Norbert College
in De Pere and was on the staff at St. Willebrord Parish in downtown
Green Bay from 1970 to 2005.
Robert R. Flatley, 80, Nov. 6. The Allouez native was Brown County
district attorney from 1964 to 1967, then the county�s corporation
counsel for a decade after that. He also helped develop Heritage Hill
State Historical Park, serving on the Heritage Hill corporation and
foundation boards, and was a past president of the Brown County
Historical Society.
Joseph Wojciechowski, 87, Nov. 8. A tireless booster and volunteer in
Pulaski for more than 60 years. He was a member of the Pulaski School
Board for more than 20 years, Polka Days treasurer for 25 years and a
member of many community clubs, boards and committees. He started at
Pulaski State Bank as a teller and retired as vice president.
Grant Pagel, 95, Nov. 9. A Little Suamico native, he owned and operated
the Brookside Cheese Factory for many years. His father-in-law, Henry
Bartz, ran the factory before him. Pagel also ran the White Lily Cheese
Factory in Shiocton.
Gerald Hanson, 76, Nov. 15. He worked at Morning Glory Dairy for 25
years, retiring in 1998, then continued to help out by pulling Morning
Glory�s ceramic cow in parades.
David Eschelweck, 70, Nov. 16. He ran the Lorelei Inn in Allouez in the
late 1970s and early 1980s after his parents, who founded the
restaurant, retired. He also worked on the timing crew at Packers home
games for more than 30 years.
Gayle Hendricks, 59, Nov. 17. In 1978, the De Pere native � then the
mother of three young children � and a partner founded Clean-A-House,
the first team home cleaning service in the Green Bay area. She sold the
business in 1991.
The Rev. Joseph Mika, 83, Nov. 17. The Franciscan friar, a Chicago
native, was assistant pastor of Assumption BVM Parish in Pulaski from
1952 to 1957. He also was pastor and assistant pastor at St. Mary of the
Angels Church on Green Bay�s east side from 1967 to 1972.
The Rev. Robert Reppen, 90, Nov. 20. A native of western Wisconsin, he
came to De Pere in the 1930s and graduated from St. Norbert High School
and St. Norbert College. He became a Norbertine priest in 1946 and
taught at St. Norbert High and at Central Catholic High School in Green Bay.
December
Lila Cody, 66, Dec. 2. She was a volunteer at St. Vincent Hospital in
Green Bay for more than 30 years.
George Thompson, 92, Dec. 2. He farmed in the town of West Kewaunee from
the late 1940s to 1980, and was town chairman and supervisor for 20 years.
John Volletz, 77, Dec. 4. He was an attorney in Green Bay for more than
40 years. He also served on the Brown County Park Commission and was
active with duck hunting and conservation groups.
William Bake, 86, Dec. 6. He was mayor of Oconto, his hometown, from
1976 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1994. He also served on the Oconto Police
and Fire Commission and Oconto School Board. He worked in the family
business, a car dealership, for 50 years.
James McGinnity, 67, Dec. 7. An executive with several paper companies,
he spent 16 years as president of Fox River Fiber in De Pere.
Darrel �Roundy� Renier, 72, Dec. 7. A well-known entertainer and
accordion player throughout the Green Bay area, he performed with the
Tumbleweeds.
The Rev. Joseph C. Bauschka, 79, Dec. 8. The Antigo native was a priest
at St. John the Evangelist in Green Bay in 1964 and 1965, a counselor
and teacher at St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay from 1965 to 1968, and
co-pastor at Nativity Parish in Ashwaubenon from 1969 to 1979. He also
played saxophone in his father�s band, the J.B. Continentals, and in the
Packer Lumberjack Band.
Neil Hilgenberg, 86, Dec. 9. In 1963, he founded Hilgenberg Realty in
Shawano, which became one of Northeastern Wisconsin�s largest real
estate companies. He also was active in many organizations in the
Shawano area.
Arni Richter, 98, Dec. 13. In 1940, the Washington Island native and his
father bought the ferries that run between the island and the Door
County mainland. In 2003, the company�s largest ferry was named for
Richter. He also was active in many organizations on the island and in
Door County.
Karen Yenchesky, 68, Dec. 16. An elementary and middle school teacher
for more than 30 years, she developed reading units on the Holocaust
that drew invitations from the National Holocaust Museum in Washington,
D.C. She retired from the Howard-Suamico School District.
Dee Erickson, 90, Dec. 16. He and his wife Pearl owned and operated
Erickson Orchards at Hillside in western Kewaunee County from the 1950s
until retiring in 1978. They grew apples and cherries on land they
bought from her parents. Erickson learned the orchard business by
working with his father at Horseshoe Bay Farms and Orchard near Egg Harbor.
Tony Bukovich, 94, Dec. 19. The Upper Peninsula native was the first
coach of the Green Bay Bobcats semiprofessional hockey team in 1958. The
Bobcats went 27-14-1 under Bukovich, who played in 17 games for the
Detroit Red Wings during World War II. His NHL career ended when an
18-year-old Gordie Howe joined the team in 1946.
Barbara Bauer, 83, Dec. 25. She was a highly regarded advocate for
mental health and public health in the Green Bay area, working as
educational services director at the Brown County Mental Health Center
from 1969 to 1986, then teaching at St. Mary�s Hospital Medical Center
and Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College. She was president of the
Brown County Mental Health Association and worked with many community
agencies.
Barbara Crabb, 68, Dec. 25. The Green Bay native, an accomplished
quilter, helped found Warmth From the Heart, which provides quilts to
hospitals, schools and those in need during the winter. She also was
president of the Evergreen Quilters Club.
Additional information [linked on the webpage]
? Photos from the Rev. Robert Cornell's career
? Photos from Jay Johnson's career
? Read more stories looking back at 2009 and the decade, as well as
looking ahead to 2010.
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