Daryl Krueger

Krueger, Daryl "Pete"

CROSS PLAINS - Daryl "Pete" Krueger, age 65, passed away at home on Thursday, June 30, 2016. He was a loving husband to Jeanette for nearly 40 years. She shares her tribute and memories of Pete in the following paragraphs.
Pete was born in Central Wisconsin where he attended a one room school house. He earned a high school basketball letter jacket. As a youth he worked at a local paper mill, riding his bicycle 25 miles to and from work. Long rides on his bike became an enjoyable pastime. He amazed his family with the distances he cycled, sometimes up to 100 miles in a day's trip.
He met his wife, Jeanette, in Pharmacy School at UW Madison, and went on to a lifetime career as a pharmacist. He interned at Shore Pharmacy, Shorewood, WI, and continued working there for a time after becoming a Licensed Pharmacist. For the past 25 years Pete was employed by Cub Pharmacies. He brought intelligence plus a strong work ethic to his profession and helped thousands of people throughout his career.
His inherently 'green thumbs' and enthusiasm for hostas led to his development and nurturing of multiple expansive hosta gardens- a joy to see for those who visit. All of Pete's garden hobbies, from house plants to landscaping reflected his love, talents and proficiencies. Whatever he touched he elevated to a level of "WOW'. He was a veritable encyclopedia of hosta knowledge and the other native plants in his garden. He gladly shared this information to anyone who wanted to learn about plants. He also had a knack for breathing life back into limp and nearly lifeless green things that wanted to grow- and could, with his help.
He was a lover of cats, and loons, and all things animal. Some family members referred to him as the "Herder of Cats". A catcher of fish, he and Jeanette delighted in their annual trips to the family's Minnesota cabin. At times Pete tossed those fish to the loons while mimicking their calls and they were coaxed ever closer to the boat. Thus the additional nickname "Loon Whisperer" was given. Before Jeanette's illness took over, some years family and friends happily joined them at the lake.
Pete was an all-around capable and creative man. A skilled wood worker, he built beautiful pieces of furniture for the house, plus whimsical items and a variety of towers and objects for the enjoyment of their felines. He was a crafter, making many macram� plant hangers, and wall hangings and even hanging tables.
He also liked to make jokes and do silly things to bring smiles to other peoples' faces. He and Jeanette had many cats over the years and his playful, silly side showed as he engaged with them. The family laughed as he somehow got one of his cats to juggle a ball with 4 paws. Pete was a 'loving Papa' to his many families of cats over the years. For a time, he became a collector of Beanie Babies, and later he donated many of them to UW Children's Hospital.
Pete was a loving and kind husband and a caring, dependable and true friend and helpful neighbor. His emotional strength served him well as he faced a cancer diagnosis, with determination to get the most and very best of the life that he had.
Pete was: predeceased by his parents, Irene and Robert, and is survived by his wife, Jeanette, sisters Dawn (Dr. Ed), Kerri, Nancy, Gail (Jawed) and Robin, nephews and nieces Derek, Brianna, Alexandra, Cameron, Lindsay, Scott, Jennifer, Adam and Jarod, aunts Lorraine (Chub) and Ginny, a mother-in-law Lenore, 3 sisters-in-law, Cindy (Denis), Jayne (Richard) and Gretchen (Jake) and grandnieces and grandnephews and an array of cousins. Love lives on in the hearts of all who remember and care. He will be thought of often with love and devotion by his wife as well as frequently and dearly by his sisters.
A Memorial Celebration of Life will be held at the First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, WI, 53705 (608-233-9774) at 2 pm, Sunday, July 31, 2016. A reception with refreshments will follow.
Please share your memories of and with Pete here at www.CressFuneralService.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to:
Lung Cancer Alliance, PO Box 418372, Boston, MA 02241 ( www.LungCancerAlliance.org);
LymeDisease.org, PO Box 1352, Chico, CA 95927 ( www.LymeDisease.org);
First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, WI 53705 ( www.fusmdison.org ).


Cress Center
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