Darlene Van Kauwenbergh

LIVESTREAM SERVICE:

Darlene’s Livestream Service will begin at 2 p.m. CT on Monday, March 30, 2026. Scroll down to the Webcast section and click on “Watch Now.”

MADISON - Darlene Van Kauwenbergh (nee Amundson), age 70, died on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. She was born on April 1, 1955, in Superior to Albert and Seija Amundson. She lived there until she married her childhood sweetheart and husband of 51 years, Gary Van Kauwenbergh, the week after graduating high school in 1973. She met Gary in Superior Central Junior High’s orchestra in the violin section, where they were partners.

Darlene and Gary honeymooned on the way to their first home on an Army Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. They became a family of three before moving to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1975, where they became a family of four. The family moved back to Superior in 1977 where Gary and Darlene both attended the University of Wisconsin (UWS) while juggling a young family. The family grew to five in 1979. Darlene graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1982.  

After graduation, the family moved to Madison. Darlene passed the CPA exam that fall and started working for PDQ Food Stores in 1983, getting her first taste of what it was like to be an accountant.  After seven years, she worked for SYCOM for another seven years. She then joined Dean Health Systems where she worked for 21 years before retiring in 2017. Accounting turned out to be a good, challenging career.

Raising a family, working full time and enjoying hobbies of playing piano and violin, sewing, crafting, and traveling made for a good, full life. When the grandchildren entered their lives, the world became an even more wondrous place. Still working full time but compressing the hours into four days per week, the tradition of “Nana Day" began. This was a day to enjoy each other and have new experiences and adventures each week. Forever a big kid herself, Darlene loved this time with each of her three grandchildren.

Darlene will be remembered for her kindness and optimism, her love of music, and for having at least one Mickey Mouse hidden (or not so hidden) in every outfit she wore past the age of 40.

Darlene was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; father, Albert M. Amundson; mother, Seija; and brother, Paul M. She is survived by her three children, Jack (Jenni), Brad and Amy; grandchildren, Ben, Leah and Max; sister, Dianne (Mark); and eleven nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2026. Family and friends who wish to view the service via LIVESTREAM may visit Darlene’s obituary page at www.gundersonfh.com at the time of the service and click on "Watch Now" in the Webcast section. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 1 p.m. until the time of the service on Monday.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Consortium (PRECEDE) in Darlene’s memory: https://www.trovanow.com/donate/. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420