Arthur Allen Wiese

OCONOMOWOC - Arthur Allen Wiese, age 73, of Oconomowoc, passed away Friday, December 27th at Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, with his family by his side. He was born April 17, 1946, in Milwaukee, WI to Frederick and Ida (nee Pagel) Wiese. Arthur served honorably in the Vietnam War, as a soldier in the U.S. Army. He received a Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars. In civilian life, he worked for 30 years as a School Psychologist for the Oconomowoc School District. He was a simple man whose faith was the center of his life. It allowed him to approach work, family and friends with gentleness and kindness. He had a disarming sense of humor. All of these attributes were with him to the end. He had a sense of fairness and justice that he used at work, and with the teacher’s union. He was a strong advocate for teachers, students and parents. Young or old, he wanted you to be the best you could be. His work with school children was so important to him. It often meant working with interdisciplinary teams. He assisted teachers to help children succeed, despite the laws, limited resources, and occasional administrative dysfunction. He was particularly proud of his son, Matthew. His eyes lit up every time he saw him. He was able to spend time with Matt during summers. They spent time fishing, hunting, golfing and just talking. He saw Matt become an electrical engineer. He was able to attend his wedding to Katherine this past August. Art and Erica celebrated 48 years of marriage with a renewal of their vows on Nov. 26. Together they went camping in Wisconsin State Parks, took many Amtrak train trips, spent the past 12 years as winter visitors to Tucson, AZ, Oct – April, and enjoyed gathering with family and friends. Besides fishing local lakes, hunting and golfing, he loved his motorcycle. Art especially enjoyed the music of the Southwest where outdoor concerts were his favorite. Art would not want attention drawn to himself. But, he loved talking to people and sharing that sense of humor. He really enjoyed a good laugh. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying good bye so hard.” -Winnie-the-Pooh Surviving is his devoted wife, Erica; and his son, Matthew (Katherine); as well as many nieces and nephews. Arthur was preceded in death by his sisters, Alice and Karen, and his parents. A Celebration of Arthur's Life will be held at 11 am on Saturday, January 11th, 2020 at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 818 W. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc, WI 53066. A visitation will be held from 9 am until time of service at 11 am. Pastor Bigelow will preside. A private burial will be held at Union Grove Cemetery with Military Honors accorded. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Arthur's name to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Forward Campaign, https://welcome.smls.org/church/give/, or Shepherd of the Hills Church, https://www.lutheranchurchtucson.com/give/, or charity of donor’s choice would be appreciated. Pagenkopf Funeral Home is assisting the family.