Stanley Solheim

Stanley Robert Solheim, beloved husband of Joey and loving dad to Heather and Dawn, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2021 at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg, WI. at age 82. He will be remembered for his kindness, many friendships, enthusiasm, creativity, humor, and lifelong love of the outdoors.

Born on March 17, 1939 in Madison, WI, to Stanley Oliver Solheim and Mildred Naomi Wickman, Stanley always loved celebrating his birthday with the Irish, yet was very proud of his Norwegian-Swedish ancestry. In the 1950s, he was a bugler in the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps under the direction of CH Beebe, traveling to Washington, DC to perform when the Scouts won the national title.

He joined the Merchant Marines after his junior year at Madison West, sailing to LeHavre, France, and coming home in fall with many great tales. Stanley (then known as Bob) graduated in 1957, attended UW, and made his way west to study forestry at Montana State University and Olympic College, WA. One of his forestry school memories was working solo as a fire spotter on a remote fire tower, walking miles to it on a deserted fire trail. His concern for environmental issues started with these outdoor experiences.

In Madison, Stanley worked at DNR in resource planning, starting a long, fulfilling career with the State of Wisconsin. Bicyclists today should be grateful for his work developing the Rails to Trails program in Wisconsin, the Elroy-Sparta bike trail, and the first Wisconsin bicycle maps. He served many years on the Governor’s Bicycle Council and was a lifelong supporter of safe, accessible bike trails. Over his career with the state, he worked for Department of Development, estimating state printing and working as liaison with state printers. While working for Tourism, he organized and managed state photo files, using many that he had taken while traveling around the state. Finally, Stanley was appointed Director of the Wisconsin Film Office, promoting the state as a great place for film and commercials, helping production companies find locations and access permits, and bringing the occasional famous actor to his beloved state. He loved his work, had the ability to make every job more interesting, creative, and fulfilling, and was always proud of his career accomplishments, making many friends along the way.

In 1973, Stanley bought acreage south of Madison in the Town of Dunn, building a log house from Vancouver cedar with help from his buddy Ray Mueller. Situated on a drumlin between two huge bur oak trees, the house became his pride and joy, a work-in-progress for years, and ultimately a welcoming home for the rest of his life. The beautiful rural property, with farmland, woodland, and marshland, stimulated his interest in rural preservation; he was fortunate enough to be elected to the Dunn Town Board, where he spent 32 years serving local interests. Stanley was immensely proud to be on the Board when they fought and won against the Libby Landfill, a huge county landfill potentially sited at the edge of Lake Kegonsa. He was also proud of his part in the Board’s comprehensive work for land use planning and Purchasing Development Rights programs. He also served many years on the Oregon Fire/EMS Board. He was also a longtime member of Luther Memorial Church in Madison.

Retiring in 2005, Stanley stayed active with fishing trips, traveling, hanging with his friends on Fridays at the Essen Haus, and joining the digital world to stay connected with pals via FB and email. He baked excellent bread, refining his technique for 40 years and constantly trying new varieties and methods; he was an adventurous cook and made the best crepes ever. He was an Amazon Prime shopper par excellence, loving all cool gadgets and kitchen gizmos. A natural at making friends, Stanley continued to expand his circle at Pinnacle water classes, keeping in touch with pals both old and new despite his numerous health challenges. We will all miss his generous, giving spirit and great smile!

Stanley married first wife Mary Leibel in 1965, having two daughters, Heather Marie Solheim (Brad Zwettler) and Dawn Louise Solheim (Merton Wall). He married Mary Josephine Reynolds in 1979, and for over 40 years they filled their home with family, friends, dogs (many of them his beloved Hungarian Vizslas), cats, and assorted farm animals. He leaves a sister, Bette Squier, nieces Heidi Kraft (Mike) and Stephanie Squier (Chad Arberg), sister-in-law Nancy Reynolds and brother-in-law Logan Hurst.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, June 25, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Town of Dunn Burying Ground, corner of Sandhill Rd. at County Hwy B, Oregon, WI 53575, immediately followed by a gathering at the Dunn Town Hall, 4156 County Hwy B, McFarland, WI 53558. Memorials may be made in Stanley’s name to Groundswell Conservancy at  groundswellwisconsin.org.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

5801 Highway 51, P.O. Box 105, McFarland

(608) 838-0655