Geraldine Grogan Wendt

1933 - 2025

Geraldine Grogan Wendt, 92, passed away peacefully surrounded by her children. Geri's life was marked by dedication to family and living life to its fullest. Her motto: Always look forward.

Growing up in Milwaukee the oldest of 5 siblings she attended Nathan Hale Highschool and then went to finishing school, which began her love of modelling and the business of talent casting. The year 1951 proved momentous. She attended a badger football game, lost her wallet in Madison, and met her future husband, who drove her and a friend back to Milwaukee.

Two years later Geri married Patrick Grogan and they welcomed their first child in 1954. They moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1955. In 1968, while raising their six children, Geri opened Beautiful People Modeling Agency, Madison's first talent casting agency. She grew this company into a successful international modeling agency, renamed Gered's, placing talent all over the world, from Tokyo to Paris to New York City. After 25 years in business, she sold the agency to devote more time to enjoying family, friends, and being adventurous. She loved skiing, playing tennis, traveling, and was an avid boater.

Geri became a snowbird in 1995 enjoying Jupiter for a few years with her second husband David Wendt. She eventually moved to Fort Meyers Beach and resettled there fulltime in 2009. She had many friends in Florida and enjoyed playing dominoes and cards and throwing a fun dinner party, which usually included a good martini, shaken but not stirred, and a glass of wine. In her 80s, she was still hopping on a jet ski and driving faster than her children. In 2010, she met her partner Robert Langhans. They shared many sweet and fun times going out for dinner, watching the Broadway Palms and traveling to Ithaca, New York in the summertime. She was devoted to spending time with her grandchildren and in later years her great-grandchildren. Geri loved a good party and was always there for the major milestones in her family's lives-first communions, graduations, weddings-and was genuinely interested in how her grandchildren's lives were evolving.

Geri is survived by her six children James (Annie), Michael (Betty), Robert (Margaret), Brian (Peggy), Kathleen (Todd), and Colleen (Michael), as well as fourteen grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren plus three on the way, sister Bonnie Nordentoft, and brother Jim Haessly. Geri was preceded in death by her parents William Phillip Haessly and Edna Ruth (Wickman) Haessly, her loving husband Patrick James Grogan, her second husband David Wendt, her sister Sue, brother William, daughter-in-law Peggy, and granddaughter Stephanie.

The family will hold a funeral service and celebration of life in the summer 2026 at a date to be determined in Madison, Wisconsin at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to National Breast Cancer Foundation.