Obituary for Donald Trudell

Donald B. Trudell, age 74, passed away at HospiceCare on Thursday, April 21.

He was born on June 20, 1936, to Margaret Redman Trudell and Harold Adler Trudell, becoming united in marriage to Susan Leigh Innes at Grace Episcopal Church, Madison, on April 1, 1967.

Don had graduated from Hudson H.S. in 1954 during which time he worked as a carpenter and orderly at the Hudson Hospital. In 1960 after a year in the National Air Guard he transferred to the Army marching band where he would spend two years traveling through Germany playing the tuba. Here he would come to love jazz, playing string base with his fellow band members. After the service, he performed with a jazz group in the Twin Cities as he completed his four-year art education degree from UW-River Falls. In 1965, he accepted a teaching assistant position in ceramics at UW-Milwaukee, receiving his MFA, and in 1967, he accepted a teaching position at Madison College where he would remain for 28 years, retiring in 1995. During his teaching career, he would receive an Employee of the Year award (1990-91) for his development of the computer graphics program at the college.

Although Don created many woodcarvings during his later years, most of his life was consumed with hunting on his farm, purchased in 1967, where in 1974 he built a cabin. He also loved to duck hunt and trap along the Wisconsin rivers.

He is survived by his wife, Susan; his sister and brother-in-law, Bernadine and Wallace Gregerson of Hudson; an aunt, Marlene LaMotte and her husband, Homer, in Neenah; a sister and brother-in-law, Bobbe and John Hartong of Crystal River, Fla.; and his Shih Tzus, Max and Ollie. There are also many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Trudell-Gibson; father, Harold Trudell; stepfather, Russell Gibson; and a sister, Beverly.

A special thank you is extended to Drs. Idsvoog and Weber of UW Health for their care during Don's eight-year struggle with emphysema and for the HospiceCare team who supported Don during his last few weeks.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to HospiceCare Inc., 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711; MATC Foundation-Art Dept., 3550 Anderson St., Madison, WI 53704; UW-River Falls Foundation-Art Dept., 410 S. 3rd St., River Falls, WI 54022; or St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church.

Memorial Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2011, at St.. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, 6205 University Ave., Madison, WI 53705.

The family will greet relatives and friends from 11:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church.