In Memoriam

We celebrate the lives of the following alumni and friends, whose deaths were recently shared with us. We are thankful for their friendship.

We celebrate the lives of the following alumni and friends, whose deaths were recently shared with us. We are thankful for their friendship.

1940s

Claire P. Greene Phillips MDS’41 Milwaukee

Jean Lindemann Schmidt MDS’41 Milwaukee faculty orientation.

Robert M. Walker MUS’55 Burlington, Wis.

Robert H. Buettner MCDS’56 Tucson, Ariz.

David O. Kieft MCDS’56 Saint Paul, Minn.

Friends

James Ansfield Mequon, Wis

’35 Christian, and many other loving relatives and friends.

Philip J. Mazzulla

River Hills, Wis.

Friends

Nancy Mueller Van Vechten MDS’46 Appleton, Wis.

Marilyn John West Bend, Wis.

Jerry Bischoff MCDS’48 North Andover, Mass.

1960s

J. Peter Maier MCDS’60 Milwaukee

Grandfather of Justin ’17 and Riley ’18 Strauss

Pedro Banda Mequon, Wis.

Grandfather of Carlos ’21 and Adriana ’25 Banda

Barbara Davidson

Judy led USM through four accreditation cycles for ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States), each cycle a seven-year process designed to support a school in fulfilling its mission. Her organizational leadership was integral to guiding USM through these processes, including preparing and creating self-study reports and assisting teams of outside peers through their accreditation visits.

Milwaukee

Brother of Francesca ’99, Emily ’01, and Alan ’03 Mazzulla

Susan Blake Fox Point, Wis.

Mother of Chloe Ruppelt ’19

Gordon Owley

Sussex, Wis.

Father of Jessica Lippmann ’93

Judith Gidley White MDS’48 Milwaukee

1950s

Wife of Carl John Jr. ’46, former geometry/calculus teacher from 1959 to 1996. Mother of Constance John ’79, Christine McBride ’80, Paula Bartel ’80, and Carrie John ’82. Grandmother of Carly McBride and Mitchell McBride

Helen “Stoney” Wilson MUS’61 Mequon, Wis.

Douglass H. Bartley ’65 Grafton, Wis.

Lois Whiting Dickinson MDS’50 Lake Geneva, Wis.

Thomas H. Frentzel MCDS’52 Pewaukee, Wis.

Christopher Reehl MUS’52 Fountain Valley, Calif.

William C. Brumder MCDS’54

Christina R. Langmuir ’66 Duxbury, Mass.

Judy Bloch passed away on September 16, 2022 at age 74 after an ongoing battle with cancer. Judy retired from University School of Milwaukee in August 2018 after 34 years of service in numerous roles throughout the school. In 1984 she launched USM’s Learning Center, tasked with providing assistance to students in need of extra help; it still serves the USM community today under the name Academic Resource Center.

Naples, Fla.

Sigrid Dehn Walker MUS’54 Colorado Springs, Colo.

Susan Dixon Sawyer MDS’55

Santa Fe, N.M.

Cynthia Kahler Wagner MDS’55 Pittsboro, N.C.

1970s

She co-chaired many ISACS accreditation teams throughout the country to help other independent schools improve programming and culture, impart best practices, and ultimately improve educational opportunities for young people. She continued this work in a consulting capacity post retirement.

Wife of Gordon Davidson MCDS’45. Mother of Gigi ’72, Michael ’75, and Gabrielle ’78 Davidson

Anne Dunning

Fox Point, Wis.

Wife of Brad Dunning, assistant head of Middle School. Mother of Trevor ’25 and Henry ’27 Dunning

George W. Fifield ’69 Jamaica Plain, Mass.

André Ptak

Menomonee Falls, Wis.

Father-in-law of Patti Ptak, 2nd grade teacher.

Grandfather of Makenna and Alexander ’22 Ptak

Richard Strauss

David M. Tacke ’72 Brown Deer, Wis.

Gretchen H. Farmer ’73 Washington Depot, Conn.

She developed Summer I.D.E.A.S., a program she oversaw from 1992 to 2018. During her tenure as director, the program served more than 11,000 students from the greater Milwaukee area and employed hundreds of teachers. Judy also sat on USM’s curriculum coordination team, chaired the faculty evaluation committee, and was responsible for the yearly new-

William C. Frye ’74 Mequon, Wis.

1980s

Kara H. Salgado ’85 Oak Park, Ill.

Nancy Geenen

Nashotah, Wis.

Judy was an active community member who tirelessly served on the boards of the Milwaukee Jewish Day School for 20 years, and Congregation Beth Israel (CBI). Judy acted as treasurer of the CBI Sisterhood, was a parent board member for Accompany of Kids (a student performing group based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin), a troop leader for the Brownies and Girl Scouts, and she held leadership roles in B’nai B’rith Women.

Grandmother of Thomas ’10, Michael ’12, and Madeline ’14 Joerres, and Emily Vertacnik ’07, Preschool outdoor education teacher.

Milwaukee

Grandfather of Justin ’17 and Riley ’18 Strauss

Ann Underwood

Sun City, Ariz.

Former assistant to College Guidance director from 1987 to 1993.

Natalie Winowich

Charleston, W.V.

Great-grandmother to Teddy Vertacnik ’36

Jim Gramentine

Mequon, Wis.

Former Director of College Guidance from 1986 to 1994

Gerard Hughes

A champion of learning and a master educator, Judy touched the lives of countless children, colleagues, and families. In her supportive and diplomatic way, she always made time to mentor and share her wisdom with anyone who needed guidance or a friendly ear. She is survived by her husband Eric, daughters Rachel (Adam Christian) and Melissa (Jason Meier), and grandsons Bennett ’33 and Beau

Parma, Ohio

Grandfather of Ronan ’23, Dermot ’25, and Colin ’27 More O’Ferrall

Grandmother of Lola Mendeloff ’10.

Ranae Zautcke-Stavish

Oconomowoc, Wis.

Grandmother of William ’11, John ’16, and Elizabeth Ostermeyer

William Ardern II passed away at his home in Mequon, Wisconsin on March 10, 2023. He attended Nicolet High School and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in real estate and urban land economics before graduating from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. From an early age, he demonstrated a flair for entrepreneurship, and in his twenties he launched his career by establishing Wisconsin Property Tax Consultants.

Bill married Victoria S. Klein on September 5, 1987 and was the father of Colin ’90 and Ethan ’92 Ardern. He was an incredibly devoted father and husband, and his persistent generosity, kindness, and positivity improved every community he joined.

Bill created USM’s Internship and Shadowing program in 2009, which provides summer opportunities for juniors and seniors, connecting students with seasoned professionals and helping them explore possible career interests. He was a tireless advocate for the program since its inception, helping countless students gain resumé and job interview skills as well as inroads into potential careers. USM is one of the only schools in the country that offers such opportunities to high school-aged students.

Most recently he launched the Career Lunch and Learn events in the Upper School, in which school parents discussed their careers with interested students and answered questions (see pg. 10 for more about this year’s events). He was recognized as an Outstanding Parent Volunteer in 2012 by USM’s Parents’ Association.

Thomas Merrill Read ’75 died suddenly on October 15, 2022 of an undetected congenital heart defect. He was born on October 18, 1956, son to Verne Ross Read and Marion Chester Read MDS’37 in Milwaukee. He is survived by his adoring wife and best friend of 35 years, Lisa Read; his children, Andrew ’09, Alexander ’11, and Merrill ’15 Read; grandchild James Read; siblings Verne Ross Read III ’69, Alice Read ’72, and Alexander Read ’73; and many other loving family and friends.

Tom was a graduate of Gettysburg College and was a championship diver. In his professional life, he was a commercial airline pilot for American Airlines for 32 years and flew DC-10s to Europe and the Caribbean and DC-9 MD80s domestically. He was passionate about flying and loved to fly his pontoon plane, often surprising friends in the lake country.

He loved University School of Milwaukee and he especially loved cheering on his three children in every one of their sporting events. He volunteered in many capacities at USM, including as director of the USM Alumni Association board, a cabinet member for the USM Annual Fund, a phonathon volunteer, and a class agent. His volunteer work impacted many other organizations, including the Young Eagles Organization, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the Bat Conservation International, of which he served on the board for many years.

Earnest “Ernie” Ray Jr. passed away unexpectedly on March 23. Ernie was a member of the Flik Independent School Dining team and was part of the USM community since 2002. He was known for his infectious smile that he would flash whenever he interacted with students, teachers, and staff, and he is greatly missed. He is survived by his mother, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Kathleen Friedman Dean passed away peacefully on February 11, 2023, in Mequon, Wisconsin, at the age of 75. Kathy was hired as USM’s director of admissions and financial aid in 1988. She served in this role for 16 years and led the school through great development and growth. Under her leadership, the school’s financial aid program more than doubled in size and the diversity of the student body grew significantly. Kathy held a wide variety of volunteer roles at USM, including Parents’ Association president for 1992–93; a member of USM’s Board of Trustees, where she served on several committees; and USM Annual Fund co-chair for two years.

A loving and dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother; and an accomplished artist, education professional, and community volunteer, she cherished her family and friends above all else. Kathy is survived by her husband, Randolph Dean; by eight children, Scott Friedman ’90, Ryan Friedman ’94, Andrea Monosso ’97, Sean Friedman ’02, Emily Dean ’01, Lindsay Dean ’03, Drew Dean ’06, Austin Dean; and many additional loving family members and friends.

Celebrating Mrs. MacKie

Former students, parents, and colleagues share their favorite memories of Margaret “Muffie” MacKedon Browne, who has retired after 40 years of teaching prekindergarten at USM.

I attribute my love for school to the memories I made in PK109. It was an honor for my family to have both children start their education in your classroom, and for you to still be considered our favorite teacher 20 years later!

-Taylor Owens ’18

Mrs. MacKie is one of my favorite teachers I have ever had! She is incredibly caring and got my entire USM experience off on the right foot. I am so excited to see where this next phase takes her!

-Stephanie Guy ’20

We have two lifers and continue to believe that our very best investment in their education was PK at USM with Mrs. MacKie. We are so grateful for the beautiful ways you made learning come alive and made days happy, wholesome, and enriching for our kids.

-Kristie Jochmann

We’re grateful for all the Muffie-isms that our family still uses: echo echo same same, cozy body rest, and no thank you for that. Not to mention her epic and brilliant parent emails that you BETTER read! There is no one like her. Thank you, Muffie! -Brigid

Submissions have been edited for length and clarity. Read more about MacKedon Browne, and other retirees, starting on pg. 24.

Miller

My favorite memories of Mrs. MacKie are the looks of sheer joy and happiness on my kids’ faces when they were in her classroom. They would just light up when they told me about what they did in PK109 and how silly Mrs. MacKie was. I am so grateful to have had Mrs. MacKie as my PK teacher and now friend, and so thankful that my children had her as well. We love you, Mrs. MacKie!

-Katie Campbell ’01

The first time I visited campus I was escorted to Mrs. MacKie’s classroom. She floated to the door to greet me as students were actively engaged around the classroom. Her energy was contagious and I wondered if it was a show. I quickly learned that energy, enthusiasm, and love were always on display in Mrs. MacKie’s classroom. No act here—just a genuine, loving, thoughtful teacher who helps children grow every day. What a gift she has been to USM.

-Steve Hancock

One of our favorite memories is from the end-of-the-year Doctor’s Park picnic when, after a rousing rendition of “PK Rocks,” the whole class ambushed Mrs. MacKie with a much-deserved tackle hug. It was clear how much those kiddos LOVE her, and we will always remember that special moment.

-Kelly Stevenson

It was not until my son had Mrs. MacKie in PK109 that I truly appreciated what an incredible teacher she is. She and Ms. Miller helped him build confidence and interact with his friends and the world around him. More than that, she taught me and my wife how to be better parents. We are so grateful for her care, guidance, and friendship.

-Andy Gordon ’98

I remember sitting on the carpet while Mrs. MacKie read to the class. She was so sweet and kind, and playing with blocks in her room was also a highlight. She was my first and favorite teacher and I am forever grateful I was lucky enough to be in her class!

-Merrill Read ’15