Warren Stolper

Warren H. Stolper died peacefully on April 1, 2022, at age 100.  He was one of the last members of the “Greatest Generation,” those whose lives were shaped by both the Great Depression and World War II.

Warren was born in Plymouth, Wisconsin, the son of Herbert and Selma Stolper, on July 4, 1921, making him a “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”  After graduating from high school in Plymouth, he attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison and graduated in 1942 with an accounting degree.   Like many from the Greatest Generation, Warren answered his Nation’s call to service in the Army during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the bloodiest battle in the history of the U.S. Army.  This experience shaped his life for the next 75 years, cementing his belief in God and in the greatness of the United States.

After returning from World War II, Warren entered UW Law School and graduated in 1947. Shortly after graduation he married Jane Hoeveler, with whom he shared a wonderful life for over 75 years.  After selling his textbooks to put food on the table, Warren embarked on a long and fulfilling legal career.  He started as a partner in a two-person law firm which eventually grew to one of the largest and most prominent law firms in Madison (Murphy, Stolper, Brewster and Desmond).   He specialized in Trusts and Estates and Corporate Law in a career that spanned more than 50 years.  He was a true pioneer in the legal profession, recognizing early on the tax benefits that doctors and other professionals could derive by incorporating as service corporations.

In addition to his legal practice, Warren taught Trust and Estates as an adjunct professor at the UW Law School for over 40 years, always sporting his signature bow tie and always at 7:45 in the morning.  The Law School honored him by establishing the Warren H. Stolper Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding adjunct professor.

Warren and Jane had three children, Tom, Dan, and Carolyn.  Family vacations usually involved taking to the highways in the family station wagon to see every inch of the United States, in addition to Mexico and Canada.  One such trip involved thousands of miles, as the family traveled to California on the old Route 66 and then up the west coast to the World’s Fair in Seattle and then up to Banff National Park in Canada before heading home to Madison.  Once the kids were grown, he and Jane expanded their travels and visited many parts of the world, including 5 continents and many trips to Paris, a city he loved.  After he retired, Warren became a connoisseur of fine wines, making many trips to Napa Valley and treating his family and friends to many fine selections.

Warren was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church, Maple Bluff Country Club and a long-time director of Home Savings Bank and Nelson Industries.

Warren was preceded in death by his parents and his two brothers, Earl (Maddy) and Leon (Marion) and two grandchildren, Michael and Andy Stolper.    He is survived by his wife Jane, his three children, Tom, Dan (Barbara) and Carolyn Friedman (David), four grandchildren, Katie Murphy (Nick), David, Sarah Ranke (Aaron) and Benny Friedman and four great grandchildren.

A private service will be held at Cress Funeral Home in Madison.  In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Agrace Hospice Foundation or Bethel Lutheran Church.

Cheers to a life well lived!

Cress Center

6021 University Ave. Madison

(608) 238-8406