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Donald J. Traeger
1950-2011
MADISON — Donald J. Traeger, 61, of Madison, died on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, at his home after a brief illness.
Don was born July 26, 1950, in Watertown, son of Bernard and Sophie (Gilewicz) Traeger. Don graduated from St. Henry Catholic School, where he served as an altar boy. He graduated from Watertown High School in 1968. He played football despite not being one of the tallest players and loved taking care of sport stats at other game times. He attended college in Naperville, Ill., where he managed the college’s radio station programs and was their DJ at times. He entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison and after one year took a year leave. Traveling to Germany to be with his AFS brother, Werner Diekstall, he attended Max Planck University, improving his German and returning to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in German and a minor in finance. His love of sports combined with a snow/grass removal service enabled him to officiate at games all season, from refereeing sixth-graders to college level. His calls were accurate and he was always booked solidly for games all year.
Don’s circle of classmates and friends brought him back to reunions often and he remembered much detail about them. Parents of his classmates were always amazed that he remembered them and their formal names. He owned a house in Madison which he remodeled and added an upstairs wing. He loved his pad and his cat.
He is survived by his mother, Sophie Traeger of Watertown; five sisters, Dorothy Westlund of Jefferson, JoAnn (Michael) Smith of White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, Jeanne (Mark) Rush of Herndon, Va., Mary (Edward Means) Traeger of Watertown and Carol Traeger of Madison. He is also survived by four nephews, Brian Walters, Jeff Smith, Ian Smith and Pvt. Jonathan Means in service of his country, and a niece, Amy Walters.
He was preceded in death by his father, attorney Bernard J. Traeger.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin