Wally I. Hugdahl

Wally Hugdahl died peacefully at home on October 26, 2009. He was 82.\r\n \r\n Wally was born to Victor and Minda Hugdahl on May 15, 1927 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, the oldest of five brothers and one sister. \r\n \r\n After serving on an aircraft carrier in the Navy until 1945, he graduated under the GI bill from LaCrosse State College. He married Shirley Bartz in 1952. He received his Masters of Science degree at the University of New Hampshire. Wally taught chemistry in Waupun, Oconomowoc, Cedarburg, Northbrook and Mequon High Schools. He was highly regarded and praised by his students and colleagues. Many of his students consider him a major influence in their science careers. \r\n \r\n During his first twenty years of teaching, he always had a second job including picking peas, gas station attendant, house builder, house painter, and football referee. He and Shirley built three houses in Cedarburg and he helped build the Cedarburg swimming pool. Wally spent four summers teaching in India and one year with his family teaching in Turkey. He taught chemistry at Cedarburg High School from 1958 to 1963 and Homestead High School from 1965 to 1987. After teaching for 38 years he retired in 1987.\r\n \r\n Wally was an active member of Faith Lutheran Church since 1958.\r\n \r\n Wally was an athlete almost all his life. He excelled in basketball, football and baseball throughout high school and college. He was a catcher in baseball and softball minor leagues across Wisconsin in the 1950\'s and played basketball and softball for many years in Cedarburg. He loved playing cards, especially Sheepshead, and his card-playing friends can attest to the great times they had over the years in card club. He was a fisherman and traveled with friends on many fishing trips to Canada. He was an avid golfer and hit a hole in one in 1994 at Mee-Kwon GC. He was a member of the Cedarburg Old Timers Golf Association. He kept himself in great shape working out at the Brown Deer YMCA for 20 years. He was one of the co-founders in 1964 of the annual Army-Navy Game gathering in Cedarburg. \r\n \r\n Besides playing sports, Wally was a huge Badger, Packer, Brewer, and high school sports fan and regularly attended both mens and womans events. He acted as a tour guide for mens and womans basketball teams from Russia, Finland and Brazil and toured Finland with a US mens basketball exhibition team. Wallys energy and enthusiasm made it easy for him to make friends everywhere he went.\r\n Wally loved Cedarburg and freely gave back to his community with his time and energy. He was an active member of the Cedarburg Lions for 45 years, a volunteer at the Ozaukee Humane Society, a member of the American Legion, and a volunteer at the Cedarburg Visitor Center. He took pride in being a 200+ gallon blood donor. In 2001 he was awarded Community Service Person of the Year.\r\n \r\n Wally was very involved in the lives of his three daughters Linda, Mary Sobol (Peter) and Sarah (Rex Richardson) and his grandchildren, Devon Hugdahl, Miles Richardson, Phil and Sarah Sobol. Wally was preceded in death by his brothers Jack, Don, Jim and sister, Marilyn. He will be missed and remembered by his extended family and many friends. \r\n \r\n The family will celebrate Wallys life with a gathering at the Cedarburg Cultural Center (W62 N546 Washington Ave.) on Thursday, October 29, 2009, at 12NOON following a funeral service at Faith Lutheran Church (N35 W6621 Wilson St.), Cedarburg at 10:30AM. There will be a private burial at Zur Ruhe Cemetery. Service: 10:30 AM at Faith Lutheran Church N35 W6621 Wilson Ave. Cedarburg, WI 53012 on October 29, 2009 (map/driving directions)