James Jaeger

James W. Jaeger, 77, of Madison passed away on November 2, 2021, at Agrace hospice facility. He was born on October 17, 1944, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the son of Carl Jaeger and Irene (Fick) Jaeger. He married Kandis (Candy) Edwards Elliot on the autumnal equinox of 1974.

Jim attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received his BS in biochemistry and Master’s and PhD degrees in Zoology. He taught in UW zoological courses for several years and was a researcher in the Porter Lab for 30 years until his retirement in 2006. He studied the effects of agricultural chemicals on native wildlife and was a proponent of maintaining and upgrading the health of watersheds, prairies, and other natural resources. As a monument to his commitment to stewardship of the land, he and Kandis owned a 40-acre parcel of land on the Crawfish River, south of Columbus, Wisconsin, including 20 acres of woodland along the river maintained as wildlife habitat, and an “Oxbow” restored from cornfield to prairie.

Jim was a dedicated fisherman, including many hours on the ice of Madison’s lakes. As an undergrad he co-authored “The Freshwater Fisherman’s Companion” with Kandis and best friend and fellow fisherman, Paul Baumann. He was an excellent bowler with a mantel of trophies and a 300-game ring to his credit. He umpired women’s fast pitch in Madison, and loved sports of all kinds, especially baseball and soccer.

Jim authored many scientific papers in his professional field and, as co-founder and staff of the Institute of Implied Science, contributed to biological textbooks as author, proofreader, compositor and illustrator.

After retirement he continued to study the effects of watershed effluent on Madison lakes and was a member of several associations dedicated to land stewardship. He also supported Olbrich Gardens and the Dane County Human Society.

Jim is survived by his wife, Kandis; his lifelong best friends, Paul Baumann and Pam Waggoner; many Cedarburg friends and relatives; and friends and colleagues of his UW family. He was a rare and gentle soul.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3325 E. Washington Ave

Madison (608) 249-6666