James N. Dahlk

MIDDLETON – James Norman “Jim” Dahlk, age 81, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. He was born in the Town of Middleton on Feb. 19, 1939, to the late Norman and Anna Mae (Mandt) Dahlk. He attended West Middleton Schools and was a lifetime member of West Middleton Lutheran Church. He graduated from Middleton High School in 1956. Following high school he enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was united in marriage to Susan Marie “Sue” Nelson on Nov. 28, 1959. Jim co-owned and ran Dahlk and May Landscaping Company and JD Enterprises for 17 years until he eventually found his true calling as a salesperson. He sold packaging for over 30 years. Jim loved to be around people and never missed an opportunity to be a jokester and tell or hear a new joke. His passions were baseball, annual hunting trips, snowmobiling and golf. For over 25 years he coached Youth Baseball and served on the Youth Baseball Commission for 35+ years. In July of 2014, Baseball Diamond No. 1 in Pioneer Park was named, “James Dahlk Field” for his generous commitment to serving the community and in particular for his tremendous amount of work he devoted to the youth of the Town of Middleton. He was a dedicated fan of the Milwaukee Brewers and anything baseball. Jim took many infamous snowmobiling trips over the years with a group of very close friends. He was a member of the Speedway Hilltoppers Snowmobile Club since 1972 and taught snowmobile safety courses for a number of years. He took annual hunting trips with his friends and family where they played a lot of cards and told a lot of jokes. He had a loud laugh that drew everybody in. Following his retirement, he and Sue spent the winters in their Florida home at The Villages. There he could spend every day working to perfect his golf game. He had a true passion for getting out and playing a round of golf. After his diagnosis of Secondary MDS he started his fight. He turned 11 months into six and a half years. To show appreciation for the Carbone Cancer Center, he started a benefit golf outing to raise money for the gratitude he had for the extra years he was able to spend with his family. He loved his family and was always looking out for everybody. His grandchildren brought him great pride and joy. Jim is survived by his wife, Sue; sons, Michael (Michele) Dahlk and Bradley (Renee) Dahlk and their children, Derek, Sarah and Vivian; three siblings, Ruth (Gene) Stormer, John (Mutzy) Dahlk and Kristie (Tim) Stapleton; along with many nieces, nephews and life-long friends. A private family service will be held with a larger than life celebration at a later date. We would like to thank all of the nurses and caretakers who treated Dad over the years. He was very appreciative of their care and enjoyed making them laugh. A special thank you to Dr. Longo and Dr. Juckett for continually providing new treatment options. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jim’s name to West Middleton Lutheran Church, 3763 Pioneer Road, Verona, WI 53593 or to the UW Carbone Cancer Center, 600 Highland Ave., K4/658, Madison, WI 53792-6164. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson West Funeral & Cremation Care 7435 University Ave. (608) 831-6761