Donald R. Ockerlander, Of the Wisconsin Veterans Home, age 88, passed away on Monday, December 24, 2018. He was born on December 1, 1930 to Lawrence and Grace (McCoy) Ockerlander. He grew up in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee.
While at Bay View High School, he was a varsity member of the 1949 City Championship Cross Country team coached by legendary coach Bill Matthei. Don never forgot his Bay View roots. He graduated from Bay View High School 1949.
He attended the University of Wisconsin Madison and was an active member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War in 1953. He was honorably discharged in 1955 and finished his degree at UW Madison.
He continued his education, graduating with a Master’s Degree in History from UW. He met his future wife, Barbara Duff when they were both teaching at West Allis High School. Don and Barbara wed on August 17, 1960.
Don attended Marquette University Dental School and graduated in 1965. He opened his dental practice in Clintonville, He had a thriving practice for over 26 years. He was very involved in professional dental associations in NE Wisconsin all through the 1970’s and 1980’s, in his “retirement”, Don continued dentistry part-time at King Veterans Home and Fort Howard Paper dental clinic and then for over 12 years at Dental Associates in Green Bay and Appleton.
Don worked hard and had the same enthusiasm for his extracurricular activities, bowling, curling, trap shooting, sailing, swimming, coin and gun collecting and an avid reader, especially of military history. Family vacations were planned with a history book. His children honed their reading skills by reading the historical markers along the family’s vacation route.
His true passion was playing golf. He also loved to talk about golf-from his hole-in-one in the early 1980’s, Clintonville A-Flight Champion, visiting St Andrews in Scotland and attending The Masters in Augusta to volunteering at state PGA events. He was a true Badger and Packer fan, and season ticket holder for Badger football, basketball and Lambeau Field.
He is survived by his wife: Barbara of 58 years, daughter: Diane (Michael) Haen of Mequon WI, son: Dirk (Jennifer) Ockerlander of Mount Vernon, Iowa and grandchildren: Mikayla Haen and Lindsey, Luke and Connor Ockerlander; nieces: Linda Ockerlander Nigro of Libertyville, IL and Heidi Ockerlander Frost of Sunset, SC. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, David (infant) and Thomas. The Funeral Service will be Thursday, January 3rd at 1 p.m.at the Main Chapel of the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King.
Burial will be on in the Central Wisconsin Veterans Cemetery in King. The Maple Crest Funeral Home of Waupaca is assisting the family with arrangements. “The family is deeply grateful to the dedication and professionalism of the staff that have taken care of Don and Barb in the past several years: BrookView Meadows (Green Bay), New Perspective Senior Living (Howard), Southern Care Hospice (Green Bay), Heartland Hospice (Waupaca) and King Veterans Home.
Your care and attention have not gone unnoticed and is so appreciated. God bless you all”.
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