Dr. Rolf Wegenke

1948 - 2025

Dr. Rolf Wegenke

May 19, 1948 - November 15, 2025

Dr. Rolf W. Wegenke died on Saturday, November 15, 2025. He was born on May 19, 1948, the son of Ingwald and Gertrude (Otto) Wegenke. He was raised on Montello, Wisc., baptized and confirmed at St. John's Ev. Church, and enrolled in St. John's School K-8. He graduated from Montello High School where he was president of the Student Council and represented Montello at Badger Boys' State and was active in 4-H. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Madison, he earned a Master's and Doctorate from the University of Chicago.

On June 2, 1991, Rolf was married to Karen Kramer, the daughter of LeRoy and Carolyn (Bode) Kramer. They had a daughter, Megan Wegenke. For a combined total of nearly 70 years, Rolf and Karen were active at Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel and Student Center and more recently Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Beginning in 1975, Rolf worked in the administrations of five Wisconsin governors (Lucey, Schreiber, Dreyfus, Earl, and Thompson), primarily in economic development and international trade and investment.

In 1992, Rolf was elected President/CEO of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU). He served as president for 30 years and was always grateful to the presidents of Wisconsin's private, nonprofit universities for supporting opportunities to be creative and to innovate the hard work of WAICU and college staff in order to make real collaboration happen.

Rolf was awarded honorary doctorates by Ripon College, Beloit College, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He was Chair of the Governing Board of Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel and Student Center and Chair of the Board of Regents of Wisconsin Lutheran College. He was part of the leadership of local, state-wide, regional and national organizations, including Co-Chair of the Wisconsin P-K Leadership Council, Member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Personnel Committee of the Wisconsin Technology Council, Chair (for 25 years) of the Educational Communications Board; member of the Executive Committee of the (ten-state) Midwest Higher Education Compact (and recipient of the Sirotkin Award-its highest honor), President of the National Council of State Community Affairs Agencies (COCSAA), member of the Governor's Council on Workforce Development, President of the National Independent College and Universities State Executives (NAICUSE), and recipient of the Future Maker award from the Board of the Wisconsin Technical Colleges.

In recent years, Rolf had been living with Parkinson's Disease, atrial fibrillation, and osteoporosis. He remained grateful for the support in good times and bad of God and of Karen, of Megan and numerous family and friends, pastors, medical professionals, and caregivers.

Visitation for Rolf will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 300 Broadway Dr., Sun Prairie, WI 53590 with a funeral service to follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be private. Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com.

Cress Funeral Service

1310 Emerald Terrace

Sun Prairie, WI 53590

608-837-9054