Karl Stadler

Fitchburg - Karl Anthony Stadler, age 79, of Fitchburg, passed away on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at Agrace Hospice, after living with the progressive effects of Parkinson’s Disease for more than a decade. He was born on September 11, 1941, in Appleton, Wisconsin, the son of William and Evelyn (Rickert) Stadler. Karl graduated from St. Mary’s High School, Menasha, in 1959 and attended St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee. He graduated from Marquette University in 1967. Karl married Judith St. John in 1967 and the two served in the Peace Corps in Tulcan, Ecuador from 1967-1969. They traveled extensively before starting their family. Karl worked as a power systems field engineer for G.E. from 1970-1975 and from 1984 to his retirement in early 2005. From 1975 to 1984, Karl served as the director of the municipal electric utility of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Karl’s work with G.E. took him all over the country and the world, including months-long assignments in Nigeria and Indonesia. For “leisure,” Karl fixed just about anything and built gorgeous furniture that his family treasures. Karl and Judy traveled, with a particular love for the National Parks, where his family plans to scatter his remains. In 2016, Karl received the Mike McKinney Community Volunteer Award for logging more than 9,000 hours of service through the Retired Senior Volunteers Program. He was a go-to fix-it guy for Porchlight, Inc. and Habitat ReStore Dane County. He volunteered as a greeter at Agrace Hospice until May 2020, when the pandemic, injuries, and illness put an end to the service work he so loved.

Karl is survived by his wife of 54 years, Judy; adoring daughters Kristina and Katie; the son he never had, Mark Neuser; grandchildren Sofia and Reina Fick and Alex and Addy Neuser; “adopted” daughter/beloved family friend, Amy Bretz of Chicago; his sister, Betty Burroughs of Appleton; his sister-in-law, Mary (Jim) Dougherty of Evanston IL; his brother-in-law, Tom (Caela) St. John of Milwaukee; and family and friends too numerous to list here. He was preceded in death by his parents, his mother-in-law Helen St. John, his brother, Bill Stadler, Jr. of Seattle, WA; his sister, Sally Greisbach of Menasha; and many beloved uncles, aunts, and cousins.

The family wishes to thank the amazing nursing staff at Attic Angel Place Health Center (especially Tashi) and Agrace Hospice for the extraordinary level of care, they provided to Karl in his last 11 months of life.

A Celebration of Life Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Lussier Family Heritage Center; 3101 Lake Farm Road in Madison, with a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Karl’s name to the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra’s soon-to-be-announced Capital Campaign; Porchlight, Inc.; ReStore Dane County; the Attic Angel Association; or Agrace Hospice.