Patrick Lacke

Lacke, Patrick J.

DEFOREST – Patrick J. Lacke, age 75, of DeForest, passed away on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at UW Hospital in Madison. He was born in October of 1945, in Shullsburg, Wis., the son of Clarence and Eileen Lacke. He graduated from Shullsburg High School in 1963, where he was a talented pitcher, an especially difficult feat considering he only had vision in one eye at the time. He went on to attend UW-Platteville, where he continued his baseball career and made many lifelong friends. In August of 1970, Pat married Mary Sue (Sheehan). They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a quarantine-style drive-by celebration last summer.

Pat started his career with Thorp Finance Corp. in the late 1960s and in 1976 became an agent with American Family Insurance. His career took Pat and Sue to Denver, Colo., and they made many friends during the eight years they lived there, and then back home to Wisconsin again, where he worked until his retirement in 2001. He and Sue enjoyed many years of friendship and travel with the people they met through American Family.

Pat was blessed with a tremendous sense of humor that made him the light in any room, the center of any party. He could talk for hours, telling story after story, much to the chagrin of his golf and poker partners. His friendly banter and charisma made an impact on everyone he encountered. Pat loved sports of any kind and spent many hours listening to the Badgers, Brewers and Packers on his radio. He was devoted to his family, was the first to arrive at a family reunion, and was a fixture at his children's and grandchildren's events. Blindness robbed him of many things, but it didn't take his joy. Pat never saw his grandchildren's faces, but he knew their hearts – which was infinitely more important. They were the lights of his life, and nothing made him happier than to make them happy, especially if it meant treating them to ice cream or donuts.

Pat is survived by his wife, Sue; two daughters, Stephanie (Brad) Bodden of DeForest and Carrie (Joel) Allin of Littleton, Colo.; five grandchildren, Erica, Ben, Eve, Sam, and Miles; two brothers, Norbert (Mary Ann) Lacke and Bob Lacke; two sisters, Kate (Bob) Thompson and Sally (Jim) Zisser; three sisters-in-law, Kathy Lacke, Sally Post and Donna (Bill) Vander Velden; and two brothers-in-law, Tom Sheehan and Leo Loomis. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Eileen Lacke; his in-laws, Norm and Rosemary Sheehan; two brothers, Jim Lacke and Bill Lacke; one sister, Ann Loomis; and two sisters-in-law, Barb Lacke and Joan Sheehan.

Since the onset of health challenges later in life, Pat relied on the kindness of many in his community, especially Bill Kortte, Gus Dreher, Jack McCoy, Paul Swalve, Pete Baker, and others, too numerous to mention. His wife, Sue, was his loving, devoted and tireless caregiver for the later years in his life.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin.

A funeral service will be held at RYAN FUNERAL HOME, 6924 Lake Road, DeForest, on Friday, July 30, at 12 p.m. There will be a visitation at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service that day.

To view and sign this guestbook and view livestream instructions, please visit www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Windsor/DeForest Chapel

6924 Lake Road

(608) 846-4250