James Richard Egstad

MIDDLETON - James (Jim) Richard Egstad, age 92, of Middleton, passed away on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital. He was born on March 1, 1934, in Green Bay, the son of Warren and Ella (Klover) Egstad.

Jim graduated from South St. Paul High School in Minnesota and proudly served in the U.S. Navy from 1954-1958 as an electronics technician. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UW-Madison in 1962. Jim met the love of his life, Kathleen Hensen, and they were united in marriage on August 20, 1960.

Jim’s successful engineering career spanned 30+ years. While working for Honeywell, he gladly took new assignments across North America and Europe. Between 1962 and 1979, Jim and his family moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota and spent time in Florida, Massachusetts, and Arizona. In 1979 they moved to Waterloo, Belgium where he developed and installed the redundant/fault-tolerant natural gas pipeline control systems in the Netherlands. Jim’s work on this project earned him a Honeywell corporate technical recognition award. While living in Belgium Jim and his family enjoyed traveling throughout Europe. In 1982 the family returned to the United States when he accepted a position as Senior Systems Consultant for Honeywell (Bull HN) in Massachusetts. Jim returned to Wisconsin in 1991, living in the Fox Valley area and finally settling in Middleton where he remained until his passing.

Jim enjoyed using his engineering skills to design and remodel every home he lived in to make it work best for his family. His passions included working in the garage on any type of engine, sailing, computers and electronics, and watching the Badgers and Packers. Jim liked to find new topics and gather research, most of the time becoming an expert in the subject and passing on his knowledge to others. His easy-going, helpful and affable nature will be missed by his family and friends.

Jim is survived by his daughter, Katherine Beschta; sons, James Egstad Jr., Christopher Egstad, Jonathan (Cori) Egstad and Joshua (Chrystal) Egstad; grandchildren, Anders and Ronan Egstad, Joseph (McKenzie Blohowiak) Gorski Jr., Ashley Gorski, Brooke and Nicholas Beschta; and great-grandchildren, Oaklynn Gorski and Colton Gorski. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen; parents, Ella and Warren; and brother, Bob Egstad.

A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 7435 University Ave., Middleton, at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026. Visitations will be held at the funeral home from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday.

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

Gunderson West

Funeral & Cremation Care

7435 University Ave.

(608) 831-6761