Patricia Ann Bean "Pat" Dencker

1938 - 2025

Patricia "Pat" Ann (Kusick) Bean Dencker

June 23, 1938 - October 12, 2025

LAKE MILLS / SUN PRAIRIE, WI - Patricia "Pat" Ann (Kusick) Bean Dencker, of Lake Mills, passed away on Sunday, October 12, 2025. She was born on June 23, 1938 on the family farm in Dalton, WI, to Clifford and Genevieve (Rygiewicz) Kusick. She attended Belle Fountain School, a one-room schoolhouse through middle school and graduated from Montello High School. She met a local boy at the beach in Montello in the summer of 1952 after he whistled at her while she was fishing with her father. Little did she know that boy, Richard Bean, would become the love of her life and her husband. They became high school sweethearts and were crowned Montello High School's 1954 Homecoming King and Queen.

After graduating from Montello High school in 1956, she worked for American Family Insurance until December of that year. She married Richard on December 29, 1956 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Portage, WI, with the reception at Buffalo Lake Lodge in Montello. The day after their wedding, they embarked on a three-day honeymoon road trip to Yuma, AZ, where Richard was serving in the United States Air Force. They began their married life living in a trailer with no air conditioning. Pat often said that was the happiest she had ever been. It was in Yuma that Pat began working for the federal government at the Yuma Test Station. She also took her first plane ride – from Yuma, AZ, to Palm Springs, CA – with Richard as the pilot. After two and a half years in Yuma, they moved to Tampa, FL, where Richard was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. During this time, Pat worked for the Federal Housing Authority. While living in Yuma and Tampa, she made many friends whom she remained in contact with her entire life.

Upon their return to Wisconsin, Pat worked at Truax Field and eventually at Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Madison. When Richard died in December of 1970, Pat became a single parent raising two little girls, Sheila (aged 5) and Tanis (aged 8). At the age of 42, Pat returned to college and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management in four and a half years through Edgewood College's weekend degree program while working full time. She was then promoted to bank examiner for FDIC in Nashville, TN. She eventually returned to Wisconsin and completed her career at the Department of Military Affairs, retiring with over 40 years of service in the federal government.

Pat loved to garden in her yard on Woodview Drive in Sun Prairie. There were always flowers to plant, trees to trim, and dirt and mulch to move. She received many compliments from neighbors and passersby on how beautiful her home and yard looked. Pat was active in her community as well. She served as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the city of Sun Prairie for six years. She also volunteered as a Salvation Army bell ringer, a Sun Prairie Corn Festival volunteer, a Colonial Club Strawberry Festival volunteer, and a Sacred Hearts Catholic Church Fall Festival volunteer. In addition, she volunteered for the Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled. She was also a member of Sacred Hearts Catholic Church in Sun Prairie for over 60 years. Pat was also an avid golfer and loved watching her favorite golfer, Rory McIlroy–no matter the time of day– even if that meant getting up in the middle of the night to watch him play in a different time zone. Her annual Christmas cards were extremely important to her– making sure she had her cards and photos ready to mail in plenty of time. She enjoyed receiving Christmas cards and checked her mailbox daily in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Pat traveled extensively– to Canada, Mexico, England, France, Spain, Russia, Poland, Monte Carlo, Norway, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Iceland, Greece, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Antigua, the Cayman Islands, the US Virgin Islands, the Philippines, the Bahamas – and throughout the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska. However, the most important love in Pat's life was her family. She especially loved her grandchildren and always found ways to show that love, most importantly by being present in their lives. While they were little, Pat always had special gifts for them ~ Snoopy golf club sets with matching Snoopy hats, new wooden sleds, pinwheels for spring breezes, Christmas train ornaments to add on each year, new Easter clothes with hats for the girls, lots of books, and coins she saved especially for them and would give to them in little envelopes. The grandchildren loved to play at her home with the old typewriter, sandbox, guitar, drums, big empty boxes, Jack-in-the-Box, stick ponies and many other toys she brought home to make every visit an adventure. When her grandchildren became adults, she always asked about their college studies and what courses they were taking. Grandma Pat would watch SpaceX videos when Shelby was involved in a particular project and would follow Tatum's flights on Flightradar24 when she was flying. Grandma Pat so loved to see them when they would return home and visit. Pat is survived by her daughters, Sheila Riggleman and Tanis (John) Schiess; her grandchildren Shelby (Karley Tesmer) Riggleman of Duvall, WA; Tatum Riggleman of Grand Forks, ND; and Nicholas Schiess and Kristina Schiess of Waukesha, WI. She is also survived by her brother, Dan (Joannie) Kusick as well as many friends and family. She was preceded in death by husband Richard Bean; former second husband Don Dencker; her parents, Clifford Kusick and Genevieve Kusick Furhmann; her sister, Geraldine Freitag; her brother, Tom Kusick and many dear friends and family. A message Pat had written down for us stated "Don't forget how I loved my family and my kindness to all. Really spread it on thick." Mom ~ thank you for showing me the world and instilling a love and wonder of travel. Thank you for showing me what it means to be a patient, generous and overall kind person. Thank you for showing me what it means to have grace and strength in times of difficulty. Thank you for showing me beauty in every form. Thank you for showing me unconditional love. Thank you for teaching me what is truly important in life. Thank you for keeping your sense of humor and making me laugh, even while you were in pain. Thank you for standing up for me. Most of all, thank you for being the person who loved me most in life and was unwaveringly loyal to me. With you as my mother, I always knew someone loved and supported me. I am so blessed to have you as my mother. I will forever love you and will miss you with all my heart and soul. Love, Sheila

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church, 221 Columbus Street, Sun Prairie, at 11:00 a.m., on Friday, October 17, 2025. Visitation will be held at the church from 10:00 a.m., until the time of service. Burial will follow at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Cemetery.

The family wishes to thank special friends Kelly Mitchell and Linda Lira and family for their care, love and support of Pat. You became part of her family and she felt your love and presence. Thank you to Ann Dencker Peroutka for her visits and support. A special thank you to LakeHouse Lake Mills and Rainbow Hospice of Johnson Creek, both for their loving, humane and dignified care for Patricia. Memorials may be made to Rainbow Hospice of Johnson Creek in honor of Patricia.

Tuschen-Newcomer Funeral and Cremation

Sun Prairie, WI 608-837-5400

www.newcomerfh.com