Albert “Al” Ronald Kaeppel, of Sheboygan, passed away on Dec. 8, 2020, after 87 wonderful years of life.
He was in the comfort and care of his family, friends and the amazing staff of Embrace Care Management and the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice.
He was born to Albert C. and Elsa (Kesselring) Kaeppel on Nov. 6, 1933. He was a graduate of Palmyra High School, Wisconsin State College UW-Whitewater (B.Ed.), Highlands University, New Mexico (M.S.), Louisiana State University (Astronomy) and the UW-Madison (Engineering).
Al met his loving wife, the late Elaine Ardys Jones, while in school and they were married on June 30, 1955, at the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church in the township of Sullivan. Elaine preceded him in death on May 15, 2018.
He was truly an “Al of all trades” fixing cars, building homes, wind turbines and observatories, programing computers, golfing, tending his gardens and orchards, but his passion for astronomy, physics and learning led him to a career of instruction. He first started teaching Cryptography at Fort Devens, MA then teaching high school in East Jordan, Michigan, where he maintained a close relationship with the students of his homeroom, the class of 1962. After teaching at Sheboygan Central and North High schools, he accepted a position in 1965 as the Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Sheboygan where he taught until his retirement in 1996.
During his tenure at the UW, he took a two-year sabbatical to observe the skies of the southern hemisphere from the islands of New Zealand. While there, he taught math at Newlands College and traveled the North and South Islands with his family.
Al served his country as a Cryptanalytic Specialist in the United States Army from 1953 through 1956 and was an avid member of the Sheboygan Astronomical Society, serving as co-chair for several years and managed the astronomical observatory at the UW -Sheboygan Campus.
He was a member of St. Luke’s Methodist Church. In his later years, Al continued to garden but also enjoyed traveling with Elaine, visiting every state except Hawaii, golfing, blackjack, craps and spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He is survived by his two daughters, Susan (Luke Harned) Kaeppel of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, and Ann (Jeff) Brill of Sheboygan; four sons, Albert Scott (Mary Lou) Kaeppel of Madison, David (Leslie) Kaeppel of Sheboygan Falls, Mark (Alice) Kaeppel of Cambridge and Nelson (Lorrie) Kaeppel of Sun Prairie; 12 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brothers, Kenneth (Judy) and Donald (Sandra).
Albert was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine; siblings, Luise Iverson, Robert (Julia) Kaeppel, Audrey (Arthur) Willman, Marguite; Betty (James) Nezworski, Elizabeth (Norman) Harris, Dorothy (Robert) McCurdy, Marion Etta (infant) and John (Judy) Kaeppel; nephew, Dennis Wilman; nieces, Becky (Wilman) DeLonay and Pam (Christensen) Shuman.
A burial will take place at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Sullivan.
A memorial fund is being established in his name.
The Wenig Funeral Home of Sheboygan Falls is serving the Kaeppel family with arrangements.
