Alumni News and Stories

• Fritz Kazlausky `61 retired from coaching high school basketball after 59 years. He has been inducted into the Illinois High School Coaches Baseball Hall of Fame, Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, Lake County Illinois Sports Hall of Fame, Grant High School Hall of Fame and the Grant Baseball Field was also named in his honor.
• Geri Luepke `64 received the volunteer of the year award from Family and Consumer Science Professionals.
• Frank Petricek `67 has moved his retirement home from Loisville, Kentucky to Punta Gorda, Florida.
• Tery Thomas `68 retired from a part-time position as advance placement program coordinator for the Fond du Lac. School District and as a site supervisor for ACT Examinations at Fond du Lac High school. Currently, president of the Fond du Lac Area Retired Educators Association.
• Dr. Ana Margarita “Cha” Guzman `69 is the recipient of the 2020 Women’s Leadership Award by the San Antonio Business Journal.
• Mike Holden `69 was elected executive director of the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs on October 24, 2020.
• Jim Smith `70 named the imperial potentate of Shriners International. He is the highest-ranked Shriner in the world and serves as president of the Board of Directors of Shriners International and chairman of the Board of Directors of Shriners Hospitals for Children.
• Eric Bloohm `71 received the advocate for children award from Lomira School Dist. for his volunteer work teaching math to 3rd and 4th graders.
• Tom Ellis `72 retired and sold his contracting business. He will now serve as a consultant.
• Greg Main `74 retired after selling his Polaris business of 27 years.
• Barb Stevens `79 retired June 13, 2018 after teaching kindergarten/pre-school for 39 years.
• Peter Chisholm `79, president of the Board of Education for the North Fond du Lac school district, has been chosen as the recipient of the 2020 Wisconsin Music Educators Association Distinguished School Board Member award. He will be honored at the 2020 WMEA Virtual Conference.
• Randal Pickering `79 was named the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association Volunteer Chief of the Year. Pickering is the Volunteer Fire Chief in Edgerton.
• Richard Sprecher `80 is the vice president of development at Meyer Jabra Hotels.
• Mark Babcock `81 completed his third year of teaching in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
• Shelly Ibach `81 was named as one of Minnesota’s 500 most powerful business executives of 2020.
• Jon Kirschhoffer `82 retired Dec. 31, 2020, from 3M Company after nearly 40 years as an industrial design specialist and more recently an advanced research specialist.
• David Wicka `84 retired in 2020 after 35 years in engineering and manufacturing.
• Duey Fimreite `85 the R&D manager at South Chicago Packing LLC, the largest processor of animal fat in the U.S. and recently was the guest lecturer for Dr. Mitra's food innovations class.
• Laura Manka `85 is the supervisor for Duty Free America’s and retail manager for Wherley Motors.
• Christine Kortbein `87 co-authored “Grief Reimagined.” - released in October.
• David Holling `87 retired as the director of Buchanan Pastoral Counseling Center, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN.
• Tom Roth `88 is the CEO of Affluent Funding, Inc. in Jupiter, Fla.
• Virginia “Ginny” Williams `88 retired after 40 years in education/school counseling.
• Eric Kermitz `89 celebrated his 25th year as regional VP at Compass Group-North America.
• Kevin Miller `90 published “Know Power, Know Responsibility; How to Unleash the Potential of Every Child in America”.
• Denise Wolf `91 is the 2nd shift QA manager at Wiskerchen Cheese in Auburndale.
• Mark Sulok `93 won the Spirit of Franchising award for operations excellence with Valvoline Oil Changes after only 3 years in the business.
• Randall Zindler `93 completed his doctoral degree in leadership.
• Amy De Curtins Carlson `94 was featured on the women in leadership panel of the Executive Education program at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
• Jeff Van Zeeland `96 is part owner of Fox Valley Wood Products. His company received the 32nd Annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award on Feb. 20, 2020. 
• Su-Nui Escobar `99 is in private practice and a dietetic internship director at Larkin Community Hospital.
• Don Yager `00 is the president/COO of Mural Consulting in Tucson, Ariz.
• Larry Graves `01 is serving as the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Designee on the Governor’s Task Force on student debt.
• David Buye `03 is the vice president of operations and development at DiaSorin Medical Diagnostics in Stillwater, Minn.
• Kevin Howard `03 is an industrial technology specialist at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
• David Hanson `04 was promoted to senior project manager at JE Dunn Construction.
• Sunny Reed `06 is a senior interior project designer and associate at Perkins and Will in Miami, Fla.  
• Levi Stodal, MD `07 is a family medicine physician at Aspirus Doctors Clinic.
• Sarah Stromberg Flier `07 was named Wisconsin’s 2020 School Counselor of the Year and was selected as a 2021 School Counselor of the Year Finalist from the American School Counseling Association.
• Steven Peterson `10 completed his master’s degree in supply chain at Marquette University in May.
• Danielle `13 and her husband, Nate `13 Goss, launched a new beverage company called KUL MOCKS.
• Katelyn Plank `13 and her wife published their first series of children’s books, “These Are My Pants!”
• Krissa Fisher '13 is a Financial Aid Advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
• Paige Berg `16 earned her master’s in clinical mental health counseling: transpersonal art therapy from Naropa University in Boulder, Colo. She works with parole and probation treatment programs as an art therapist in Colorado’s front range. She also has begun a tattoo practice that she plans to integrate with her mental health practices.
• Tiffany Lange `16 was featured in North of 45th art exhibition at Devos Art Museum in Marquette, Mich. She currently is the gallery coordinator at Soo Visual Arts Center in Minneapolis, Minn., and a practicing artist.
• Chase Matter `17 is a controller at 10th Floor Properties
• Dr. Marcus Lewis `18 was named director of the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program.

Engagement:

• Joseph Tuttle `17 and Bethany Tennison `17 were married on October 10, 2020.
• Elizabeth Nelson `19 and Myles Lade `20 met working at the Commons three years ago and got engaged in June.

Marriage: 

• Joseph Tuttle `17 and Bethany Tennison `17 were married on October 10, 2020
• Erin Pelky `16 and Jack Mellberg were married on October 17, 2020
• Jenna Hennessey `15 and Nathan McKeefry `14 were married.
• Elizabeth Peterson Cohen `14 was married on August 22, 2020.

Anniversary:

• Peter `60 and Mary Jean Fulcer celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 25, 2020.
• Les Haight `68 and Rhoda Hembrook Haight celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Michigan. They met at the Out of Sight Bar in Menomonie in January 1968.
• Trudy Verbrick Zarlink `69 and her husband, David, celebrated their 50 years of marriage on June 20, 2020.
• Marilyn Rassbach Lamers `71 and Richard O. Lamers `70 celebrated 50 years of marriage on September 26, 2020.
• Susan `71 and Frank Singer `71 celebrated 50 years of marriage on August 28.
• Dan Mehleis `72 and Lee Anne Purman Mehleis `72 celebrated 50 years of marriage on Cape Cod, Mass. with their entire family.
• Dennis `72 Baran and his wife Michal are celebrating 25 years of marriage on October 28, 2020. They own and operate a Group Doctor franchise in St. Charles, Ill.
• Lance `72 and Karen `72 Bell will be celebrating 50 years of marriage on November 18, 2020.
• Ann Woznick `86 and Brad Kunst `86 celebrated 30 years of marriage on October 6, 2020, and continue to reside in Clear Lake, Iowa. They met as resident advisors in Fleming Hall in 1984.
• Kevin `94 and Janell Lenbom-Groskreutz celebrated 25 years of marriage in Hawaii.

Arrival: 

• David Richter `92 and Jacqui Hogans welcomed Caroline Rose on August 31, 2020.
• Jacob `13 and Hayley `12 Pebbles welcomed their second child, Cameron, on September 21st, 2020.
• Aimee `14 and Ryan Donnelly welcomed their first child, Kieran Patrick, in May.
• Jenny Wojcik Zilka `14 welcomed a daughter on April 26, 2020.

Passing:

• Anita B. Matthew `46, August 24, 2015, Plano, Texas
• Carlton Ericksen `47, April 2, 2020, Carol Stream, Ill.  
• Arlene Pick Johnson `48, November 20, 2020, Janesville
• Shirley A. Nooyen `48, April 9, 2020, Sacramento, Cali.  
• Dellmont Robert Lindbloom `49, December 7, 2020, Sister Bay
• Lewis Mallow `51, May 4, 2019, Chippewa Falls
• Ruth Mary Kelly Fleming `53, December 3, 2020, Gays Mills
• James L. Indihar `58, September 19, 2020, Dubuque, Iowa
• Diane E. Hanson `59, January 28, 2020, Madison
• James “Jim” L. Indihar `59, September 19, 2020, Dubuque, Iowa
• Peggy Handlos Johnson `59, October 5, 2020, Centuria
• Richard Tiede `60, July 10, 2020, San Jose, Cali.
• Robert Gannon `60, September 16, 2020, Marinette
• Charles Pinkepank `61, December 1, 2020, Wausau
• Margaret L. Chastan `64, September 10, 2020, Menomonie
• Walter W. Graumann `64, Asbury, Iowa
• James R “Jim” Polarski `67, November 17, 2020, Milton
• James Nelson `68, June 3, 2020, Nashotah
• Stephen Edwin Hill `68, November 16, 2020, Cottage Grove, Minn.
• Susan De Keuster `68, September 20, 2020, St. Paul, Minn. 
• David C. Goetzinger `72, July 2, 2020, Dubuque, Iowa
• Carolyn Marie Barnhart `74, November 9, 2020, Menomonie
• Michael Gregory Abel `74, August 6, 2020, Hiawatha, Iowa
• Michael James Ehrmann `74, August 8, 2020, Milwaukee
• Stephen Ehmcke `74, July 4, 2020, Lakeville, Minn.
• Kay Daniels Perkins `75, June 12, 2018, Wausau
• Margaret “Maggie” Machesky `75, December 14, 2020, Downsville
• Susan “Sue” McDonald Phillippi `76, October 27, 2020, Powell, Ohio
• John Clyde Williams `77, May 24, 2020, Freeland, Wash. 
• Charles “Chuck” Schaaf Jr. `81, October 12, 2020, Chetek
• Bradley R. Lewis `82, July 9, 2020, Berry township
• James Wickman `82, September 17, 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Jeff Seawell `82, July 26, 2020, Kelso, Wash.
• Randy Roy Rinehart `86, March 16, 2017, Evansville
• Richard E. Fogal `87, July 21, 2020, La Crosse
• Joan Mari Splawski `93, October 16, 2020, Nasewaupee.
• Deryl Frey `94, July 5, 2020, Ashland
• Choua Lee Yang `96, October 9, 2020, Blaine, Minn.
• Patrick Lofteness `05, July 22, 2020, Eau Claire

Faculty Passing:

• Steven P. Terry, of Menomonie, passed away on June 2, 2020. Steve retired from UW-Stout in 2015 as an associate professor of health and physical education. He served as athletic director from 1994 to 2007 and started at UW-Stout in 1980. 
• Eunice I. Freeberg, 87, of Colfax, passed away May 29, 2020. She started in 1982 at the UW-Stout Purchasing Department, retiring in 1997.
• Roger H. Klukas, 87, of Menomonie, passed away June 7, 2020. He worked in the maintenance department at UW-Stout for about 25 years, retiring in 1997.
• Nasser Hadidi, 77, of Colfax, passed away Aug. 16. Hadidi was a statistics professor at UW-Stout for more than 30 years, retiring in 2015. He was a current senior lecturer at the university.
• William Schulman, 91, of Menomonie, died Aug. 26, 2020. Bill, professor emeritus in the School of Art and Design, was hired in 1966 at UW-Stout to create the art education program, where he taught until he retired in 1992.
• William M. Zinsil Jr., 84, of Menomonie, passed away Aug. 21, 2020. Bill was a building maintenance helper at UW-Stout for 18 years. He retired in 2004.
• Warren C. Bowlus, 90, of The Villages, Fla., passed away Aug. 26, 2020. Warren retired from UW-Stout in 1989 as the chairperson/director of the department of health, physical education, recreation and athletics. 
• William P. Burns, 91, of Menomonie, passed away Dec. 10, 2020. Bill retired from UW-Stout in 1992 as an associate professor in the physical education and athletics department.