Bruce Anton Dahmen

Madison – Bruce A. Dahmen, age 61, of Madison passed away on, Tuesday, February 11, 2014. Bruce was born on June 2, 1952, to Gregory and Mary Ann Simon Dahmen. He grew up in Middleton, Wisconsin where as a student was a football, basketball, and baseball player. He played and later coached the Middleton Home Talent team for many years. Bruce was also an avid bowler and had even rolled a perfect 300. He started his college experience in LaCrosse with some of his good friends and completed his degree at UW Whitewater where he graduated with a degree in Business and Marketing Education. He was a baseball player for the UW Whitewater Warhawks, giving up his Senior year captaincy to student teach at Memorial High School in the spring of 1974 and was lucky to be hired for the 1974-75 school year. He was a favorite of students; teaching Marketing, Typing, and Starting a Business. He got involved in coaching early in his career. Over the years he coached football, baseball and both girls and boys basketball. He loved spending the time with kids on the athletic field/court. He spent 77 seasons working with student athletes. Bruce went back to get his Education Administration degree at the urging of former principal Carolyn Taylor. She believed Bruce could have an impact on all students, not only those involved in his business classes. He worked as an Assistant Principal and was later named as the building Principal in 2005. He loved chatting with the students and getting to know them and what mattered to them. He was always concerned with how each student was doing, always working toward them being the best person they could be. The staff at JMM is a close knit group and he loved interacting with them both in and outside of school. His admin team was a real joy for him to work with, looking forward to their Monday meetings. JMM was his second home. He often said he bled green and white. Bruce was in his 40th year of working at Memorial, he loved being a part of the school every day. Bruce married Peggi Sullivan in July, 1982, and they were inseparable ever since. Tyler and Justin entered their lives and their love only grew. Spending time together as a family was a special time. He loved the time he spent coaching multiple sports for both his boys. I don’t believe he was ever happier than having the opportunity to coach his sons. He coached both basketball and baseball for them from the time they started playing Little Bucks in Middleton to high school athletics - being lucky enough to coach them in various State Tournaments. Although Tyler and Justin may be our only two children, over the years many, many young people have become family. He truly loved coaching and getting to know kids outside of the classroom. Bruce and Peggi followed their boys’ college baseball careers, putting on thousands of miles to watch them play. Many good friends were made through their sons’ teams and their families. He enjoyed traveling with his family. His desire was to travel to all MLB stadiums; he had been to 26 parks. Survivors include his wife Peggi, his sons Tyler (Emilie Pinkovitz) and Justin; his father Greg; sister Sheila (Perry) Hibner and their children Keegan Nesvacil, Katherine and Nathan Hibner; brother Kendall (Sharon) and their children Beau and Milanne; his in-laws: John and Patty Sullivan; sister-in-law Trish (Brad) Horning and their children Kyle and Micaela; brother-in-law Keary (Melissa) Sullivan and daughter Jennifer; and brother-in-law Len (Julie Wesson) Sullivan and their children, John and Susan. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Ann. There will be a Celebration of Life ceremony on Sunday, February 16, 2014, at Madison Memorial High School at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, friends and colleagues seeking to honor Bruce are asked to consider donations to the Bruce Dahmen Scholarship c/o Memorial High School at 201 S. Gammon Rd, Madison WI 53717. For those not able to attend the Celebration, you will be able to watch the live stream video at http://www.mmsd.org/dahmen Bruce, Bruter, Boots, Coach D, Mr. D, Big D, Papa D, D, Bruce-Bruce – he went by many names, but to all he was a friend!