Harry Vos

We are sad to announce the passing of Harold “Harry” Vos of Waunakee, Wisconsin. Harry died at the age of 90 on September 7, 2023. Harry passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital surrounded by his loving family.

Honored to be at his bedside were his wife of 66 years, Joan, and all eight of his children; Teresa (Halil Ibrahim) Avci, Mary (Gary) Vados, Margo (Todd) Zimmerman, David (Shannan) Vos, Steven Vos, Cathy (Duane) Vos, Jennifer (Paul) Vos Benkowski and Ann (Dennis) McGinty.

Also included in his impressive legacy are 21 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Harry was born on March 23, 1933 as the third of eight children to Art and Nora Vos in Holdingford, MN. In 1957 he married Joan (Lysher). Soon after he began his 35-year career with IBM as a customer engineer. After his “retirement”, he continued to utilize his expertise by providing technical support for the Waunakee School District.

It is difficult to sum up all that Harry was in one paragraph, but we will do our best. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Harry was a creative problem solver. Give him a roll of duct tape, a paperclip, a piece of chewing gum (and possibly a Google search), and he could fix anything. He built a dancefloor for his daughter’s wedding and then repurposed the same lumber to add a sunroom to his house. When his children needed to get outside for the winter, Harry flooded the backyard to make an ice-skating rink. When he wasn’t building something new, he could be found fixing something old. He was always willing to repair a car for you, fix your leaky faucet, or invent a solution for any tricky situation. His generous spirit always made him eager to solve problems for others. Harry had vast knowledge with a solid grasp of physics. He once moved a piano by himself into a minivan. He could control the direction a tree would fall by using a winch and a cable, felling hundreds of trees without ever damaging the house or himself (not seriously, anyway). He had a great sense of humor. Later in life, when told he should be taking it easy, he was scolded by his children for chopping up a tree. He replied, “I was taking it easy, I used the small chainsaw!”  Harry was a sportsman; a fisherman, a bowler, an avid golfer, and an expert ping-pong player. As a faithful Catholic, he was an active member of St. John’s church, often attending daily masses before joining the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out) for coffee.

He was preceded in death by siblings Virgil, Esther, and Jerry, daughter-in-law Melody, and grandson Cole. Survived by siblings Joan (Jeroma), Fr. Bill, Fred, and Mary.

Funeral services will be held on Wed. Sept 13, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church. 209 South St Waunakee. Friends may call at the church on Wed. from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services. Burial will take place in Vienna cemetery.

In the spirit of Harry’s generous nature, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.

The family would like to express their appreciation for the care and attention he received from Dr. Ranum over many years and also the staff at St. Mary’s hospital, including chaplains Liz and Fr. Pat.

Winn-Cress Funeral Home

5785 Hwy Q

Waunakee, WI