Michael Daubs

Michael Steven Daubs, 77, of Sun Prairie, Wis., died July 29, 2020, at home surrounded by his family after a long battle with frontotemporal dementia.

He was born on July 24, 1943, to Howard and Mary (Rice) Daubs in Albion, Ill., and graduated in 1961 from Las Vegas (NV) High, where he was voted class clown. He was the first of his eight siblings to graduate from high school and the first to go to college. As a youth, Michael loved little league baseball and enjoyed drag racing with his brothers in the salt flats outside of Las Vegas.

Michael graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Illinois State University.

He married Patricia Perry on June 15, 1963, and they had three children, Natalie, Stephen and Brian. Michael and Patricia celebrated their 57th anniversary in June.

After starting his career as an analyst and commercial mortgage officer for Country Companies in Bloomington, in 1973 Michael joined Lutheran Mutual Life of Waverly, Iowa, and became senior vice president of investments in 1983. He led the creation and served as president of Members Capital Advisors, which grew under his watch to managing more than $15 billion in assets.

He was named chief investment officer and senior vice president of investments for CUNA Mutual Group in 1989 after its merger with the Century Companies (formerly Lutheran Mutual Life). He retired in 2006.

Central to Michael’s business success was his commitment to ethics and integrity, and those principles guided his life as a husband, father, and grandfather. He believed in always doing the right thing and taking care of those around him, which he did joyfully and with plenty of humor.

If Michael wasn’t playing tennis or golf, he could often be found in nature, hunting game birds, fishing, or bird watching. He loved to cheer on (and yell at) his favorite teams, the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Bears, and Chicago Bulls.

Michael is survived by his wife, four brothers and sisters, three children, and 15 grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents and three of his siblings.

A private memorial was held in Sun Prairie, and a graveside funeral service in Bloomington, Ill., will be scheduled a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials or donations may be made to the Groundswell Conservancy (https://groundswellwisconsin.org/giving) or Agrace Hospice’s Care for All Foundation (https://www.agrace.org/donate/care-endowment-campaign/).