Gary Dennis Goplen

STOUGHTON - Gary D. Goplen passed away at home on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, surrounded by his loved ones. He was born Nov. 25, 1951, in Newark, Ohio, to Leslie and Virgina Goplen and moved to Monona, Wis., in 1953. He graduated from Monona Grove High School in 1969 and continued on to UW-Madison, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1973. He began a career with Nelson Muffler in Stoughton later that year, kickstarting a 49-year career with Nelson/Cummins/Universal where his work garnered 11 patents for exhaust system designs.

Gary married the love of his life, Sandra K. Dietzman, in 1980 in Stoughton. They warmly welcomed twin boys, Chris (Kelley) and Kevin (Amanda), in 1984. Their family became complete with the addition of five beautiful grandkids, Lily, Beatrice, Owen, Torrey and Ruth. He took great pride in his children and grandchildren, celebrating their achievements throughout his life. Sandy was the absolute light of his life.

Always adventuring, Gary and Sandy bought and renovated a lakeside cottage on Burrows Lake in 1993. He enjoyed many seasons in the Northwoods with family and friends. He loved to travel and visited all 50 states, 54 countries, and five continents, adding South America to this list just weeks before his passing. He summited 40 State Highpoints and 10 Colorado 14ers. He appreciated scores of National Parks with his family through the years. On the day he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in October 2017, he began section hiking the Ice Age National Scenic trail. He completed the 1200-mile journey in 2020 with support from Sandy and his family along the way.

Gary was a long-time runner whose interest in the sport influenced a handful of others through the years. He completed 24 Syttende Mai 20-mile races, three marathons, and ran the Syttende Mai 10-mile race in May of 2023. Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” had the perfect beat to match his running cadence and will forever be known as Grandpa’s running song by his family. His ambitions later transitioned to biking and e-biking, which he approached with similar vigor. In two short years and while receiving cancer treatments, he biked thousands of miles with Sandy, traversing the entirety of Wisconsin’s state bike trails and connecting roads. Their bike travels brought them from their home to the borders of all of Wisconsin’s neighboring states and to the tip of Door County.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Les and Ginny (Helwig); and father-in-law, Robert Dietzman. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; son, Chris (Kelley Redding) of Cottage Grove and their children, Owen and Ruthie; son, Kevin (Amanda Fagan) of Stoughton and their children, Lily, Bea and Torrey; siblings, Bruce (Vicky) of Edgerton and Pamela (Mark) Hollowell of Bozeman, Mont.; mother-in-law, Ruth Dietzman of Stoughton; and many other extended family members.

Gary will be remembered for his love of the outdoors, adventurous spirit, loving connection with his grandkids, unassuming advice-giving, mechanical wisdom, patient problem-solving, generous sharing of John Deere tractor rides, and his love of Sour Patch Kids. He will forever remain in our hearts and minds. On his final day with us, he asked us to remember that grief is the price we pay for love and that it’s worth it a million times over.

Gary’s family would like to thank his oncologists Drs. Rory Makielski and Ryan Porter; his nuclear medicine team in Marshfield including Dr. John Dahlin; SSM Cancer Center and St. Mary’s Infusion Center nurses and staff; generous blood donors; and supportive friends and family.

A memorial service will be held at Gunderson Stoughton Funeral and Cremation Care, 1358 Highway 51 N. at Jackson St., Stoughton, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan 13, 2024. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 9 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, donations will be used to support a project that honors Gary’s love of the outdoors.

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

Gunderson Stoughton

Funeral & Cremation Care

1358 Highway 51 N. at Jackson St.

(608) 873-4590