Michael S. Nolan

Michael S. Nolan

Elm Grove - Passed away peacefully at his home on October 1, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer. He will be remembered for his thoughtfulness, intelligence, and wry sense of humor. He was a loving and devoted husband, caring father, and distinguished and respected attorney.

Michael was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the only child of Elmer and Leone Nolan. He attended Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, graduating in 1957 and leading the first of three generations to graduate from the exemplary Jesuit high school. He attended Marquette University, graduating summa cum laude with a B.A. in History in 1961. Following his undergraduate education, Michael was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship that enabled him to study a year abroad at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom and as a result become an inveterate Anglophile. Michael returned to Milwaukee to attend law school at Marquette University. Ever the scholar, Michael thrived in law school, serving as an editor of the law review and graduating at the top of his class, magna cum laude, in 1965. With his law degree, Michael became a proud "3 M-er" earning his high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees at the three Marquette-affiliated academic institutions in Milwaukee.

Michael began his legal career, joining the Milwaukee-based law firm of Foley, Sammond and Lardner LLP (now Foley & Lardner LLP). He became a partner in the firm in 1972 and worked there for the entirety of his 38-year legal career. Serving as a member of Foley's corporate and securities law practice group, Michael began his law practice representing clients in investments, licenses, joint ventures, and business acquisitions in Mexico and South and Central America. Mid-career, after teaching himself the intricacies of federal and state securities law, he helped in the financing of utilities, business corporations, health care providers and retirement communities in not only Wisconsin, but the entire nation. He also assisted the broader legal community, serving in several capacities in the Wisconsin State Bar and helping draft the original regulations issued by the Wisconsin Commissioner of Securities following the adoption of the Wisconsin Uniform Securities Law. He also sat on the Board of Directors of St. Camillus in Wauwatosa. Michael was both a student and teacher of the law, having a keen intellect, an eye for detail, an unparalleled work ethic, and a sterling reputation as an honest, direct, and creative problem-solver for his many appreciative clients.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Michael will be best remembered as a loving and generous husband, father, and grandfather. He married Diane Beaumier in 1970 and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last June. They have been members of St. Mary's Visitation Roman Catholic Parish in Elm Grove since 1978. Together with Diane, Michael raised four sons, instilling in them his Catholic faith, his boundless work ethic, a lifelong love of learning, and his loyalties for the Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers. Throughout his life, Michael had a passion for world travel, taking his family on dozens of enlightening adventures around the globe that would have been incomplete without repeated visits to his beloved England. When not traveling, Michael was a voracious reader and scholar of history, particularly military history. An American Civil War buff, he was an active member of the Civil War Roundtable of Milwaukee. Michael was also an avid dog lover, particularly of Scottish Terriers, including his own beloved Tuppence and Nessie.

He is survived by his wife, Diane, his four sons, Patrick (Natalie), Timothy (Iva), Daniel (Laura), and Andrew (Annelise), and five grandchildren (Nicholas (19), Catherine (15), Elizabeth (11), Liliana (5), and Margaret (infant).

A Memorial Mass will held on Monday, November 30, 2020 at 10:30 AM at St Mary's Visitation Parish, 1260 Church Street in Elm Grove with burial to follow in St. Mary's Visitation Cemetery. Memorials to The Order of St. Camillus Foundation or Marquette University High School appreciated.