Thane Uglow, age 82, of DeForest, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 8, 2013, at his home surrounded by his family.
He was born on March 15, 1930, in Whitewater, the son of Ellis and Dorothy (Mules) Uglow. He grew up on a dairy farm in Heart Prairie and was a graduate of Whitewater High School.
In 1949, Thane served 1 year of active duty in the United States Air Force followed by 4 years in the Reserves.
He received a Bachelor of Education and a Master’s Degree in School Administration from UW-Madison. While in graduate school, Thane was the head baseball coach at Madison Edgewood High School.
Thane was united in marriage to Carol Thorson on Aug. 27, 1955 in Madison.
He began his teaching career at Greenfield High School in Milwaukee; in 1961 he took a position as a high school principal in Muscoda, Wis. Thane was instrumental in organizing the Riverdale (Muscoda) School District and became its first district superintendent.
From 1968 until 1983, he was superintendent for the Whitewater Unified School District and spent a total of 29 years as a school administrator in the state of Wisconsin.
Thane was an avid sports enthusiast and over the years he played 14 years of baseball, 7 years of football and 44 years of golf. He was a player/manager for the Whitewater American Legion/City baseball team for 5 years, winning four championships, and played 3 years for the semi-professional Delavan Red Devils football team.
He also coached high school baseball and football teams, and continued to support local youth sport’s programs through coaching and volunteer work. Thane was a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Bears fan, but his passion was Badgers football and basketball.
In his retirement years, Thane loved to travel to the South or West in the winter, and also made several trips abroad. When not traveling, he enjoyed playing cards with friends. In recent years, Thane was a member of the Association of Retired School District Administrators and Christ Lutheran Church.
The family would like to thank Thane’s medical “angels:” Dr. Pickhardt, Dr. Kaji, Dr. Huie and their staffs, Meriter Home Health and Agrace HospiceCare for their wonderful support. Thanks also to Pastor Olson for his visits.
Thane is survived by his wife of 57 years, Carol of DeForest; daughter, Kris Lent of Aurora, Ill.; son, Jay (Liz) Uglow of Livermore, Calif.; grandchildren, Jocelyn Lent, Kathryn and Christopher Uglow; two sisters, Charlotte Loth of East Troy and Bonnie (Dave) Stanley of Whitewater; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, Fritz Loth.
Funeral Services will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 220 S. Main St., DeForest, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2013, with the Rev. Jerry Olson presiding. Lunch will follow the service in the Fellowship Hall. A private family burial will be at Heart Prairie Cemetery, Whitewater.
Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Thane’s name to the Riverdale High School Scholarship Fund, the Whitewater High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, Agrace HospiceCare or Christ Lutheran Church.
Your memory is a keepsake and your life touched many people. Now God has you in His keeping. We will always have you in our hearts. Thank you for being an important part of our lives. You will be missed every day and remembered always. We love you.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, assisted the family.
Thane was a role model for me when I was a K-8 superintendent in Darien and later in New Glarus. He was a true educator who cared students and school district employees.
Dear Carol and Family
My heartfelt sympathy to you and your family. Thane was a very dedicated educator and cared about people. He was a man of many interests. It was a joy to visit with him and converse about the past. He was great baseball fan and a lifelong Cub fan and I enjoyed the trips we took to see the Cubs and Brewers play. Thane made this a better world and we will miss him. Go Cubs.
Bill Urban