Sidney B. Podell

MADISON - Sidney B. Podell, age 88, died peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Don and Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center. Sid was a vibrant, energetic man with a zest for life, multifaceted interests and a wide spectrum of friends. He was a lifelong advocate for peace, equality, justice and the environment. He described himself as a citizen of the world with hope for a future without ethnic and religious conflicts. Sid was born on August 16, 1920 in Milwaukee, the only child of Louis and Jessie Podell. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps as a bombardier on B29s in the South Pacific. Sid attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he met and married Mary Neuhauser in 1947. After graduating from the UW Law School in 1949, Sid founded a law firm in Milwaukee. He practiced law there until retirement in 1983. He began his career as an attorney in general practice, but later the firm evolved toward representing labor unions, including AFSME and the UE, and their members. He successfully represented women factory workers in one of the first equal pay cases in Wisconsin; and he was proud of his contribution toward ending discrimination against women in the workplace. While he and Mary raised their children in Milwaukee, Sid enjoyed many activities with his friends and family: camping, skiing, biking, sailing, photography, flying, scuba diving and travel. Sid and Mary moved to Dane County in 1983, living first on their Middleton farm and then in Madison. During his years in this area, Sid discovered his love for the land and its natural beauties. He became an ardent vegetable gardener, producing a bountiful harvest every year. He enjoyed hiking through the fields and tending the farmland. In addition, Sid now had the time to put his eloquence and his activist enthusiasm to work for such causes as the Veterans for Peace, the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, and he participated in an array of anti-war protests and demonstrations. Sid's love of life, his strong ideals and his great interest in people will always be remembered by his devoted family and his many friends. Preceding him in death were his beloved golden retrievers, Dandy and Andy. Sid is survived by his wife, Mary Podell; their children, Elaine Podell Ochoa of Madison and Daniel Podell of Santa Rosa, California; grandchildren, Laura Ochoa Podell and Maria Ochoa Podell; son-in-law Ramiro Ochoa; and daughter-in-law, Betsy Westing Podell. A memorial service in celebration of Sid's life will be held at the CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, on Saturday, March 7, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to HospiceCare Inc., 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, 53711; Veterans for Peace, P.O. Box 1811, Madison, 53701; or the Wisconsin Medical Project, c/o Dr. Bernard Micke, 26 N. Prospect Ave., Madison, 53726.