Familiar local faces we lost in 2011 [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Dec. 29--Even in death, timing can be everything.

Two lifelong Packers fans -- writer Art Daley and Bob Cook of "Never Miss a Super Bowl" fame -- lived to see Green Bay's team take home another Lombardi trophy.

Matt Strzyzewski got to take his infant son home. The proud father, who lived with muscular dystrophy all his life, died just 10 weeks after Landon was born.

Some people also had good timing in life. Nina Leopold Bradley took up the work of her famous father, environmentalist Aldo Leopold, finding early evidence of climate change. Karl Hellerman got into the commercial diaper business in its infancy, founding Dy-Dee Wash in Milwaukee.

Still others -- including John McCullough and Judy Chaudoir -- were familiar faces on local television. Larry "The Legend" Johnson was most familiar as the Southern voice telling radio listeners to "speak your onions."

Business leaders included George Dalton, who helped develop the TYME automated teller system and co-founded Fiserv, one of the world's largest data processors for banks and other financial institutions. He also believed in developing people.

"If you look for the good in people and let them know you see it, you develop a different attitude in people," he liked to say.

Good words for anybody to live by.

While no list can include everyone noteworthy, we offer the following as some of those missed in 2011.

JANUARY

Karl T. Hellerman, 100, a founder of Dy-Dee Wash Diaper Service, the first such service in Milwaukee, in 1937. At its peak in the 1960s, Dy-Dee washed more than 50,000 diapers a day for thousands of customers. The business still had 2,700 customers -- and was washing 160,000 diapers a week -- when the family decided to sell in 1990. Hellerman died of natural causes Jan. 14.

Esther Doughty Luckhardt, 97, one of the first women to serve in the state Assembly. She was the only woman in the Assembly -- and the ninth in state history -- when first elected in 1962, serving until 1984. Long involved with the Republican Party, she entered politics more interested in business and tax issues, but kept bumping into basic issues of equal rights for women. "I felt like I led the parade," she once said. Luckhardt died of congestive heart failure Jan. 14.

Joseph Haban, 93, industrialist-turned-philanthropist in the Racine area. A farm boy from Mount Pleasant, he became a mechanical engineer and founder of Haban Manufacturing in Racine. His gifts included the donation of family farmland for what is now Racine County'sHaban Park. He died of natural causes Jan. 22.

FEBRUARY

Bob Cook, 79, famous for more than 15 minutes as a member of the "Never Miss a Super Bowl Club," as seen on those Visa credit card commercials. In everyday life, he was earlier the owner of Bob Cook's Vagabond Travel Service. He missed this year's game after being hospitalized with a blood infection but did get to see the Packers' victory on a hospital television. Cook died Feb. 10.

William Bablitch, 69, former legislator and longtime Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. He served in the early days of the Peace Corps and later as a Portage County district attorney and state senator and was especially proud of authoring the bill that changed the way that sexual assaults were prosecuted in Wisconsin. "Justice Bablitch was a lifelong public servant," said Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson. He died of cancer Feb. 16.

Art Daley, 94, the man who wrote about the Green Bay Packers for 70 years. He began covering the Packers for the Green Bay Press-Gazette in 1941, later co-founding the Packers Yearbook and writing for Packer Report magazine. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame as a team contributor in 1993. "No one else probably knows more about the history of the Green Bay Packers than Art Daley," said Bud Lea, Packer Plus columnist and former Milwaukee Sentinel sports editor. Daley died of natural causes Feb. 19 in Green Bay.

MARCH

Zygmunt "Ziggy" Choroszy, 90, a Polish Catholic and political prisoner who survived five years at Auschwitz and other concentration camps. He often spoke publicly about his experiences, including to classes. "His main thought was that people should understand it really did happen and that people didn't forget," said son Bob Choroszy. "That was one of his fears, that people would forget." He died of congestive heart failure March 7.

Judy Chaudoir, 83, long known as Judy Marks on local television.

She first appeared as the "weather girl" on WOKY-TV in 1954. She later worked at other stations, including WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), also serving in other on-air roles. "She was a big deal because she was good at what she did and one of the few females to work in what was then predominately a man's business," declared WTMJ-AM (620) radio host Gene Mueller. Chaudoir died of natural causes March 11.

Matt Strzyzewski, 26, who didn't let muscular dystrophy get in the way of living his life, including becoming a husband and father. He was there when his wife, Lindsay, gave birth to their son, Landon, on Jan. 18. "They knew they probably didn't have a lot of time," said his mother, Debbie Strzyzewski. "And that was something important to both of them." Her son earlier served as ambassador for the local MDA telethon and graduated from college. He died March 23.

Horace Martin, 86, who loved sports, especially anything to do with baseball. Martin played with Army teams while serving during World War II and gave up the chance to play for a professional farm team. In Milwaukee, he ended up managing and coaching local teams sponsored by St Mark A.M.E. Church for more than 30 years. Martin died of bladder cancer March 27.

APRIL

Father Charles Bisgrove, 58, first a brother with the Priests of the Sacred Heart, and ordained a priest nearly two decades later. "I hope I stay the same," he once said. "To me, being a priest means to be for the people, with the people." His ministry included serving as a chaplain with the Franklin Police Department and assisting first responders in Milwaukee County. "Father Charlie" died April 10, after a stroke.

Marvin "Marv" Pfennig, 90, who worked a total of 3,665 ball games for the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers and for the major-league Milwaukee Braves and Milwaukee Brewers from 1951 to 2004. That included 30-plus years as wardrobe manager for stadium ushers. "I just like being a part of it," Pfennig said. He died of pneumonia April 23.

MAY

Eleanor "Ellie" Abbott, 82, who worked to protect the wild, pristine Ozaukee County land that had long been in her family through an unusual conservation development. That included donating 27 acres for permanent conservation -- including ravines and high bluffs along Lake Michigan -- and limiting construction. "It's the closest thing to God I can think of," Abbott said of the land. She died of natural causes May 24.

Nina Leopold Bradley, 93, daughter of Aldo Leopold and an environmentalist in her own right.

Her work, published in 1999 by the National Academy of Sciences, became "one of the first published studies that species were responding differently to climate change," said Buddy Huffaker of the Aldo Leopold Foundation. "She committed her life to conservation." Bradley died of natural causes <chron>May 25.

JUNE

Sudie E. Tatum, 92, who long led the Women's Auxiliary of the General Baptist State Convention of Wisconsin. She dropped out of high school in 1938 but later earned degrees, including a master's in education administration and a doctorate in theology. She considered her work at the Milwaukee Area Technical College an opportunity to combine "education, social work, guidance and missionary work all together." Tatum died of cancer June 1.

Mary Gundrum, 96, a rare female motorcycle rider back in the 1930s.

Gundrum liked to see the world from the driver's seat of a Harley-Davidson, continuing to ride through the 1950s. She also took photos during motorcycle rallies. A total of 144 of her photos are now in the Harley-Davidson company archives. Gundrum died of congestive heart failure June 16.

Alexander Radicevich, 82, owner of Old Town Serbian Gourmet House. He and his wife, known as Rada, escaped imprisonment and brutality in Communist Yugoslavia, coming to Milwaukee. After working at his father's Three Brothers restaurant, they opened their own little piece of Serbia in 1971. "This restaurant was everything to him and what it meant to have the American dream," said daughter Natalia Radicevich. Years after a heart transplant, he died of kidney and other complications June 19.

Martin H. Greenberg, 70, probably the most prolific anthologist in the world with some 2,500 titles to his credit. Greenberg collaborated with literary titans including Isaac Asimov, Tom Clancy, Stephen King and many more to produce all kinds of collections, especially in science fiction, mystery and horror. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay political science professor began his Tekno Books publishing house, keeping it in Green Bay. He died June 25 after a long illness.

JULY

John McCullough, 77, the no-nonsense newsman who long led the local news market as the sole anchor for WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) news at 5 and 10 p.m. Famous locally, he realized that the news wasn't about him. The secret to his success? "Something that The Journal said about me when I came here: 'He looks more like your brother-in-law or the guy raking leaves next door than a TV star,' " McCullough said. He died of natural causes July 20.

Anthony "Tony" LaPorte, 93, the man who personally inspected and certified every bowling lane in Milwaukee County for more than two decades. He did so as a volunteer, certifying more than a thousand lanes at a hundred or more bowling establishments, and requiring repairs if lanes didn't meet standards. "We were like the bowling cops, so no one ever had an advantage," said son Phil LaPorte. LaPorte died of natural causes July 28.

AUGUST

Terence T. Evans, 71, a Riverwest kid who applied to law school on a whim and was eventually named to the second highest court in the land. Evans served with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He became a legal scholar, known for his wit and common-sense approach to life and law. Evans died of respiratory disease Aug. 10.

Peter Goldberg, 63, president and chief executive officer of Families International, an alliance of more than 360 nonprofit groups. He earned the respect of his peers by working with nonprofits, private businesses and national leaders, including first lady Michelle Obama. "He was a true leader and visionary," said Richard Cohen, board chairman. "It wasn't just the same old, same old. He looked for new ways of doing things." Goldberg died of a heart attack Aug. 12 while hiking in Maine.

Thomas "Tom" DuBuque, 64, house manager at the Pabst Theater for more than 40 years, also working at other performance venues. DuBuque was a dentist in Wauwatosa. "Theater is my true love," he liked to say, "but dentistry pays the bills." DuBuque died Aug. 15 when his car was struck during a snowstorm in South Africa.

Larry "The Legend" Johnson, 78, of radio fame. Johnson liked to say he was a legend in his own mind, but he did become the biggest name in local radio, including on WZUU-FM and WISN-AM (1130) in the 1970s and into the 1980s. His shows were a blend of music and early talk radio, with Johnson encouraging callers to "Speak your onions." Johnson died of pneumonia Aug. 17 after other health problems.

Heika Spielbauer, 37, who long worked with the Guest House, including with a program to provide permanent housing for homeless individuals and families. "She always cared tremendously about our clients," said Gerard Campbell, with the Guest House. "She was like a walking directory of services for the homeless." Spielbauer, who received a heart transplant in April, died Aug. 18.

Sylvia Salmon, 87, who became the matriarch at Solly's Grill in Glendale.

She began working at the restaurant after the death of her first husband, later marrying owner Kenneth "Solly" Salmon in 1970. She kept running it after his death in 1978. "She followed Solly's plan. She ran that shop the way Solly ran it," said daughter Diana Schultz, adding that included the signature "butter burger." Salmon died Aug. 24.

Catharine "Kit" Fowler Young, 95, one of the first women in the state to work as a stockbroker. She earned a degree in economics and finance before marriage in 1942, but did not begin working as a broker until her husband was diagnosed with cancer. "Dividends, not diamonds, can be a woman's best friend," she liked to say. She died of natural causes Aug. 30.

SEPTEMBER

Michelle Caudle, 42, the Watertown wife and mother who became a reluctant symbol for the nation's fight over health care reform.

Caudle's husband, Bill, joined the Army to provide health care for his wife, diagnosed with ovarian cancer. "She improved awareness of ovarian cancer, and of how difficult it is for some people to get health coverage," said her doctor, Peter Johnson. "She showed what it was like to be a cancer survivor and to live with grace and dignity." Caudle died Sept. 2.

Harry Kemp, 78, best known as a photographer in Milwaukee's black community, including for the Milwaukee Community Journal, the Milwaukee Courier and the Milwaukee Times. In recent years, Kemp also served as a photographer for the Milwaukee Brewers. The best guess is that Kemp took something like 100,000 photos during his career. "Kemp has been the eyes of black Milwaukee," said Eugene Kane, Journal Sentinel columnist. Kemp died in his sleep Sept. 29.

OCTOBER

Gary Vanden Berg, 59, head groundskeeper at Miller Park and earlier at County Stadium. A golf course superintendent, he was hired by Harry "Pops" Gill in 1981, taking over as groundskeeper after Gill's death in 1989. "You'd think you'd get tired of it,' Vanden Berg once said, "but I never get tired of watching baseball." He died of cancer Oct. 10.

Lynn Wroblewski, 44, founder of the Fiddleheads coffee business. Wroblewski opened her first coffeehouse -- the Fiddleheads Espresso Bar & Cafe -- in Thiensville in 1996. Mike Wroblewski, her brother, and Steve Klimczak, her husband, later joined the business. The company now includes other locations, a coffee roasting operation, online and retail sales, and a bakery. Wroblewski also became the mother of Clara, only 19 months old when her mother died of breast cancer Oct. 18.

Ed Thompson, 66, born Allan Edward Thompson and the younger brother of Tommy Thompson. Ed Thompson made headlines of his own, including when he ran for governor as a third-party candidate, and for occasional brushes on legal matters. He had an "infectious candor and spirit," former Gov. Tommy Thompson said. "Ed ran for public office because he believed government had forgotten about working people, and in many ways, he was right." He died of pancreatic cancer Oct. 22.

Art Langlas, 65, auction director of the Great Channel 10 TV Auction for the last 10 years. Long the most successful public television auction in the country, it raised $1 million a year on his watch. Langlas also helped expand other Milwaukee Public Television fundraising efforts. "He was Mr. Auction," said Ellis Bromberg, MPTV general manager. Langlas died Oct. 26 after surgery.

The Rev. Bertram Simon "B.S." Gregg, 103, involved in both religious and civic life. In the 1960s, his roles included welcoming "Freedom" school students to the St. Matthew Christian Methodist Episcopal Church during the boycott of Milwaukee schools. He helped establish other churches -- the Gregg Chapel CME Church in Racine was named in his honor -- and long served with the Milwaukee Board of Review. Gregg died of natural causes Oct. 27.

NOVEMBER

Heriberto "Beto" Villarreal, 71, a founder of El Rey stores and products. Villarreal came to Milwaukee from Mexico with brother Ernesto. The two became partners and Latino business pioneers here, feeding Milwaukee's growing appetite for salsa, tortillas and tamales. Villarreal died Nov. 6, years after suffering a stroke and the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

George D. Dalton, 83, co-founder of Fiserv Inc., the Brookfield-based firm now an industry leader throughout the world in data processing for banks and other financial institutions. Specializing in acquisitions with the company, he helped expand Fiserv to 14,000 employees, 10,000 clients and more than a $1 billion in annual revenue by 2000. Dalton died of natural causes Nov. 17.

Tim Cuprisin, 53, former TV-radio columnist for the Journal Sentinel and The Milwaukee Journal. He last worked as media columnist for OnMilwaukee.com. His professional work included other kinds of reporting, too, including international politics and the fall of the Berlin Wall. "He thought about readers and viewers and what they would want to know," said Journal Sentinel Editor Martin Kaiser. Cuprisin died of complications of advanced melanoma Nov. 23.

Rose Pickering, 64, the grande dame of Milwaukee theater, long a member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's resident company. Though she suffered from stage fright, she was, to her core, an actress. "I think we are herd animals," Pickering once said. "We have to have communal experiences. We get something from sitting shoulder to shoulder in the dark. For some reason, I am one of those people who have to get up and act it out." Pickering died of cancer Nov. 24.

DECEMBER

Hubert Sumlin, 80, blues guitarist, ranked as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

"Eric Clapton loved his playing. So did Jimmy Page," said West Allis guitarist Jeff Dagenhardt. "They all cited him as the main influence in their music." Sumlin died of congestive heart failure Dec. 4.

Jean Lucey, 93, wife of former Gov. Patrick Lucey, who didn't fit neatly into the stereotypical role of a political wife. She was involved in Democratic Party politics and the resurgence of the party in the 1950s, and helped develop the Lucey Realty Service. And she remained outspoken, including during his years as governor. "I'm not a tea party dame," she said. Lucey died Dec. 7, after years of Alzheimer's disease and a stroke.

Lisa-Marie Calderone-Stewart, 53, whose work included creating Tomorrow's Present, a youth leadership ministry. She began the program while with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, moving it to the House of Peace after budget cuts. After Calderone-Stewart was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she began an online journal called "Dying to Know You Better." She died Dec. 9.

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