Kyle Wade Stiegert

FITCHBURG- Kyle W. Stiegert, age 63, of Fitchburg, passed away on Monday, April 11, 2022, after a long and courageous battle with pulmonary fibrosis and a subsequent lung transplant. He died peacefully at home surrounded by the love of his wife and sons.

Kyle was born on Jan. 8, 1959, in Denver, Colo., the son of Donald and Elaine (Krueger) Stiegert. He graduated Class of ’77 from Fremont High School in Fremont, Neb. He received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Science there, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. He married his best friend, Dawn Weigel, on a cold, sunny day in February of ’86. Together they raised two wonderful sons, Evan and MicAh. Kyle was Professor of Agricultural Economics for eight years at Kansas State University, followed by 19 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison until he retired in 2020.

Economics was Kyle’s passion and everything in his life was filtered through that lens. He began his professional career as a market analyst for First Mid America where every morning he provided a Future’s Contracts Summary through a Squawk Box. He later worked for Information Technology (now Fiserv) but knew the business world wasn’t the right fit and pursued his academic career in Agricultural Economics. This pursuit landed him the J.B. Hassler Research Citation for Outstanding Research Accomplishments as a graduate student and the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award in Ag-Econ in 1990. Throughout his university tenure Kyle contributed significantly to his field through numerous research publications and citations in wheat quality, industrial organization, and international food systems. He served on panels for the USDA and presented his research at conferences home and abroad. Visiting professorships took him to the University of Connecticut, Cal-Poly, Victoria University, and Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. He advised and mentored many graduate students, supporting their work and lives, and received the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2006 for supporting graduate students in Agriculture and Applied Economics.

During the last 10 years of his career, Kyle consulted with numerous anti-trust lawyers serving as the research expert on antitrust cases. Research was Kyle’s first professional love and came easily to him, but by the end of his career one of his favorite tasks was teaching UW-Madison’s World Hunger class to undergraduate students. In addition, Kyle’s research expertise was tapped by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation where he served as a panel member. And, for the city of Fitchburg, he served on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for three years.

Kyle enjoyed the great outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains and lakes in northern Wisconsin. He had a quick wit and fabulous sense of humor, interjecting lines from movies and TV shows with impeccable timing. He loved to travel and travel he did! He ventured throughout the U.S. and abroad, visiting many countries in Europe, as well as Armenia, Brazil, China, Iceland, Korea, New Zealand, and South Africa. He loved to hike, boat, golf, garden, enjoy the arts, play cards, dine with family and friends, solve puzzles in the newspaper, and watch birds at his feeders. Kyle especially loved to ride his bike and commuted to and from work whenever possible. Before the fibrosis set in, he had a goal to bike 3,000 miles in a year and achieved it! Biking cleared his head and provided peace. He and his wife, Dawn, enjoyed many bike excursions hitting the bike trails and country roads around Madison and Fitchburg.

Kyle said his greatest achievements in life were marrying Dawn, parenting his sons, Evan and MicAh, and contributing to the work of a major university. He loved UW-Madison’s tradition of The Wisconsin Idea that allowed for and encouraged the sifting and winnowing of ideas and followed this general principle: “that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”

Kyle is survived by his wife, Dawn; sons, Evan Stiegert and MicAh Stiegert; mother, Elaine Stiegert; brothers, Mark Stiegert, Matt Stiegert and Kirk Stiegert; sister, Laurie (Vince) Ricchezza; nephew, Eric Ricchezza; niece, Catherine Ricchezza; parents-in-law, John (Joyce) Weigel; and two brothers-in-law, David Weigel and Jonathan Weigel. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald.

Kyle’s Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 10 a.m. at Four Winds Farm, 5735 Adams Road, Fitchburg, Wis.

Memorials may be made to the Kyle Stiegert Memorial Fund at Bike Fitchburg, Inc., which is the local bicycle advocacy group for the city. Funds will be used to develop a bicycle wayside park on the Capital City State Trail as Kyle wished. Contributions may be made at www.gofundme.com/f/kyle-stiegert-memorial or sent to Bike Fitchburg, 2995 Sub-Zero Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53719.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Fitchburg

Funeral & Cremation Care

2950 Chapel Valley Road

(608) 442-5002