Jan. 1, 2018 – Jackson, WI – Andrew “Andy” Gauger, 52, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017.
He was born on December 5, 1965, to Donald and Susan (Baeurle) Gauger in Milwaukee. It was a good day – the Packers beat the Vikings 24-19.
Andy was a computer geek from the very beginning. His affinity for computers and pretty much all technology became evident by the time he was a student at Cedarburg High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Management Information Systems. Andy was one of the fortunate people who turned a passion into his profession. Working in information technology throughout his career, he moved from programmer to executive, including several years at Carroll University and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Andy enjoyed being in nature – hiking, swimming and taking photographs. His childhood included frequent trips to Door County with lazy days at the beach and the cabin, and the boyish joy of burning all manner of things in the fire pit. Some of his happiest memories included kayaking the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho with his parents and Jeeping the mountains in Colorado with his wife and a friend. He also loved animals, but an even greater love of red meat prevented him from being a vegetarian.
In juxtapose to his fondness for nature, Andy’s favorite place on earth was Las Vegas, particularly at a blackjack or craps table. He insisted he was “up” over his lifetime despite a slow start. His wife isn’t sure the math works out that way.
In addition to being a fan of Packers and Badgers football, he looked forward to a warm beer and a cold hot dog at County Stadium and Miller Park. He also liked to golf despite a lack of finesse. It was not unusual for him to finish an impressive 300-plus yard drive to the green with a 5 putt.
Andy was a true science fiction aficionado. He could name all the original episodes of Star Trek along with the crew’s adversaries from Gorn to Borg. He thought space travel was a noble pursuit and built his fair share of model rockets in his youth.
Everyone who knew Andy knows he had an opinion – about everything, but mostly about politics. He was sure he could convert any democrat given enough time (just ask his sister-in-law).
Andy was a patriot – he loved our country. His favorite holiday was the Fourth of July, but that may have been more about an excuse to blow things up. He also liked guns. He wasn’t a hunter; he was a long-distance marksman. The physics of precision firearms was fascinating to him. He was an extremely good shot and otherwise well prepared for a zombie apocalypse.
Those Andy leaves behind to remember him through stories and laughter include his wife of 20 years, Jackie (Fredricksen) Gauger; his parents, Donald and Susan Gauger; his sister, Elizabeth Gauger; and other family and friends. His greyhound Rizzo will miss their long walks, shared snacks and frequent naps.
A memorial service in remembrance of Andy will be held on Friday, January 5, 2018, at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2881 Division Road, Jackson.
Family will greet relatives and friends at the church Friday from 2 p.m. until the service begins. A reception will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, Andy would want you to sign up to become an organ donor, which is amazingly quick and easy to do at organdonor.gov. The gift of life was passed on to him. That great kindness in another family’s time of grief gave Andy a new appreciation for how important it is for us to help each other in any way we can every day that God gives us on this earth.
If you would like to make a donation in Andy’s memory, he would strongly recommend Greyhound Pets of America’s Wisconsin Chapter, which you can find at gpawisconsin.org.
The Myrhum Patten Miller & Kietzer Funeral Homes have been entrusted with Andy’s arrangements.