Don A. Gehrmann
November 16, 1927 - July 23, 2022
Obituary
MADISON - Don Gehrmann, age 94, of Madison, passed away Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Stoughton Hospital. He was born Nov. 16, 1927, to Frank and Mamie (Stremke) Gehrmann. He grew up on the south side of Milwaukee and attended Pulaski High School where he met his future bride, Dolores “Lori” Marine. They were married on July 15, 1950, in Milwaukee. Don and Lori were married for 65 years and had five children, Don (Jane), Tim (Xanthe), Kathy (Mike) Gordon, Jim (Joanna) and Sue Newton. Don is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents; wife, Lori; sister-in-law, Shirley Marine; and in-laws, Richard and Helen (Ciganek) Marine.
After public relations jobs with AAA and the Schlitz Brewing Co., he taught and coached at Wauwatosa East High School for 13 years before taking a job with the state government in Madison. In 1977, he was appointed Highway Safety Coordinator under then Governor Martin Schreiber. He retired from state service in 1985.
Dad had a storied record of success on the national and international track and field stage. Coached by Tom Jones at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he qualified for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team by winning the 1,500 meters at the track and field trials in Evanston, Ill. Between 1949 and 1952, he won 39 consecutive major mile races against top national and international competition. During this period, he also won the coveted Wanamaker Mile at Madison Square Garden four years in a row.
Dad was named the greatest miler of the Big Ten’s first 50 years but was versatile enough to set the world record in the 880m and 1,000m both outdoors and indoors. At the 1952 British Games, a two-day event, he won the 1,500m with ease the first day and the next day set the world record in the 1,000m.
In 1981, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2000 he was named one of the 15 top University of Wisconsin athletes of the century.
The family would like to extend special thanks to Don’s neighbors, John and Terri, Linda from Home Instead and the staffs at VISTA West and Stoughton Hospital for the assistance and care they provided to Dad.
A memorial service will be held at Gunderson East Funeral and Cremation Care, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 12 noon on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Rest in peace, Dad, we love you and will miss you.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420
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