Frederick Teitgen

Fred Teitgen passed away on Thursday, October 17, 2024, surrounded by the love of his family and his many friends. He lived a full and successful life and expressed his deep gratitude for the blessings he had been given.

Fred and his identical twin brother, Herb, were born to Elizabeth Werner Teitgen and Robert Teitgen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 10, 1942. His parents were expecting a girl because of a rapid fetal heartbeat and were taken by surprise at the arrival of two boys. In their initial shock, they named them Tom and Jerry. When the grandparents pointed out that that was the name of a comic strip and a holiday alcoholic beverage, they changed the names to Frederick and Herbert. 

Fred grew up in Milwaukee, Delavan, and Pewaukee, Wisconsin before moving to Mercer, Wisconsin after the completion of 7th grade. He graduated from Mercer High School in 1960. Unfortunately, his father had died when Fred was 17 of complications from an assault by local Mercer ruffians. After graduation, Fred, his twin brother, Herb, and his younger brother, John, moved with their mother to Madison, Wisconsin, where they all enrolled in school. Fred, Herb and their mother, Elizabeth, went to UW Madison while John attended University High School. Fred and Herb both graduated with Engineering degrees in 1965. Elizabeth got her teaching degree.

Fred moved to the Los Angeles, California area after graduation. While there, he worked as a structural engineer and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Divinity. He also met and married Anita Judy in 1969. Fred and Anita had three daughters, Colleen, Valerie and Betsy. In 1974, he accepted a position at Flad Architects and he and his family returned to Madison, Wisconsin.

Fred worked at Flad for 28 years as the Chief Structural Engineer, becoming a principal in the firm. He enjoyed his work designing large facilities all over the country. During these years, he and Anita divorced (1979) and Fred moved to Mazomanie, Wisconsin. Fred met Debbie Byars in 1983, and they were married in 1992. They lived together in Madison in a 1918 bungalow that they lovingly restored.

Fred and Debbie moved from Madison to the Lake Wisconsin area in 2002. They had had a cottage there since 1992 and loved the natural beauty of the area. Fred’s retirement coincided with the move. He enjoyed one year of retirement before becoming involved in local government. He ran for Town of Dekorra Chair and won. He served in that position for six years. While serving as Town Chair, he also ran for County Board. He served 12 years on the Columbia County Board. He Chaired the Planning and Zoning Committee and was a driving force in oversight of new facilities construction for the County. Fred also led the inclusion of artistic elements to the buildings. He decided not to run for reelection in 2018.

In recent years, he and Debbie enjoyed traveling the world. More recently, he pursued his interest in music by developing a singing repertoire of jazz standards. In the Summer of 2024, he played three gigs at a small restaurant in Portage, Wisconsin. 

Fred was preceded in death by his parents and his twin brother, Herb. He leaves behind his wife of 32 years, Debbie Byars, his brother John, his Uncle Tom Werner, and his daughters, Colleen Teitgen (Erica Burnett), Valerie Savarie (Matt Savarie), and Betsy Teitgen. He had five grandchildren, Aidan Pyper, Drew Pyper, Luka Savarie, Kaylin Teitgen and Sascha Humphrey. 

Fred was full of fun and spunk and life -- until the very end-- when his lungs could no longer sustain him. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio St., Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60611.