Dorothy A. (Burger) Goigel

Dorothy A. (Burger) Goigel, age 94, died peacefully at Attic Angel in Madison, WI, on October 27, 2026. She was born on December 23, 1931, in Queens, NY, to the late John L. and Sophia E. (Marck) Burger. Although she grew up in Long Island City, Dorothy loved spending summers outdoors with her cousins on the Loehr family farm in Connecticut.

Dorothy graduated from high school at The Mary Louis Academy in Queens, NY in 1949. She then studied at St. John’s University, earning her BA in 1953 with a double major in social studies and history. She also met her late husband, Peter J. Goigel (1931-1998) at St. John’s. During their college years, they both had part-time jobs selling souvenirs on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. They married in 1955 after Pete completed his U.S. Army service in Korea and initially lived in Astoria, Queens, NY.

After college, Dorothy worked with her father in the family business, Atlantic Ironworks, in Long Island City. She later returned to graduate school and earned her MA in secondary education from Queens College. Dorothy began a long career working with Girl Scouts, starting as a membership development director with Nassau Council. She also worked for Girl Scouts of the USA, the national organization; served as executive director of the Buffalo Council in upstate New York; and retired as assistant executive director of Girl Scouts of Greater New York, which served all five New York City boroughs. Dorothy was committed to serving all girls and was an extremely effective executive. Following her retirement in 2002, she moved from New York to Madison to be close to her family.

Yellowstone National Park was among Dorothy’s favorite places since she first visited in 1941 when her mother took Dorothy (age 9) and her brother, John (age 11), on a cross-country trip from New York to San Francisco by train. She was thrilled to return in 1978, driving west with her daughter, Monica, who would be a summer ranger naturalist at Old Faithful. After Monica began field research in the park after the 1988 fires, Dot spent many weeks of her summer vacations in Yellowstone helping Monica and having adventures with her two grandchildren, Devin and Deirdre. Memories of those summers together and our travels throughout the West will never be forgotten.

Throughout her life, Dot loved the outdoors, with a special affection for national and state parks. Family camping included trips to the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains, Acadia National Park (Maine), and Shenandoah National Park (Virginia). In addition, Dot was always up for an adventure–she especially enjoyed sharing travels in Spain with Monica.

Dot met her second husband, Jim Nicklaus, before moving to Madison. Both had been widowed, and they married in 2003 and had many happy years together. They both enjoyed birding, contributing to Christmas bird counts and traveling to Arizona, Mexico and Costa Rica for vacations that included birding.

Always an active member of her local community, she made lifelong friends wherever she lived. While on Long Island, Dorothy served on the Holy Spirit Parish Council and as president of the Rosary Society, and she was a Girl Scout troop leader for over 10 years. In Madison, Dorothy organized the parish mission at St. Maria Goretti in two separate years. She was also an avid reader, and even in her later years, she greatly enjoyed mystery books and the daily New York Times.

Dot was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother and was beloved by everyone who knew her. She was happiest when spending time with her family and is survived by her daughter and only child, Monica (Goigel) Turner; son-in-law, Michael G. Turner; and grandchildren, Devin M. Turner and Deirdre E. Turner. Devin and Deirdre were a continual source of pride and joy. Dot shared many memorable experiences with them, including riding in a Cessna 4-seater plane with Devin as pilot and watching Deirdre dance in many ballets at the Overture Center. Dorothy was also very silly at times and passed that trait on to the rest of us. We have always been close, sharing love and life to the fullest. She was an inspiration to all, exuding gratitude, grace and joy. We will miss her greatly.

Our beloved Dot was preceded in death by her parents, John L. and Sophia E. Burger; brother, John H. Burger; and husbands, Peter J. Goigel and James P. Nicklaus.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 604 Everglade Drive, Madison, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, with a luncheon in the social hall to follow. Visitation will be held at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass on Wednesday.

The family extends our deepest appreciation to everyone at Attic Angel who provided such loving care over the past three years and especially during her final weeks and days.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Dorothy to the Fund for Employee Appreciation at Attic Angel or to the National Parks Conservation Association. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson West
Funeral & Cremation Care
7435 University Ave.
(608) 831-6761