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MADISON / VERONA - Richard K. “Rick” Stauffacher passed away on Sunday, November 1, 2026. He was born on November 19, 1943, in Baraboo, Wis., to Dick and Mary Stauffacher. He grew up in Baraboo alongside his siblings, Stephanie, John, Margot, and Jann, graduating from Baraboo High School in 1961.

Following high school, Rick completed three years of pre-dental studies at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse before attending the Marquette University School of Dentistry in Milwaukee. An accomplished student who earned recognition on the Dean’s List, he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 1969.

After dental school, Rick served as a dentist in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. His assignments included one year at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif.; two years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19), which operated in the South China Sea; and three years at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, Wash. Rick often recalled the extraordinary noise aboard the USS Hancock, when A-4 Skyhawk attack jets launched and landed around the clock. The nearly continuous thunder of aircraft operations made even a few hours of uninterrupted sleep difficult to find. While on the USS Hancock, Rick provided routine dental care to servicemen and women, and also identified those who had lost their lives in the war based on their dental records.

Rick’s Navy years also provided many opportunities for adventure. During these years, he owned a silver 1967 Corvette convertible and a 1974 BMW R90 motorcycle. He made several trips between Washington State and Wisconsin, sometimes driving the Corvette and other times riding his motorcycle. One particularly memorable adventure took him by motorcycle into the Canadian Rockies.

Following his military service, Rick returned to Marquette University for two additional years of specialty training in orthodontics. He went on to practice orthodontics in Madison and Oregon, Wis., for more than 30 years. Rather than building a large practice, Rick preferred maintaining several smaller offices where he could provide attentive, personalized care for his patients. Nancy and Noreen, who worked with Rick for more than 30 years, not only helped make Rick’s practice a success, but were also longtime friends of Rick and his family.

On June 9, 1979, Rick married Mary Jane Vogt at Olbrich Gardens in Madison. Their marriage began a new chapter in Rick’s life filled with family, shared adventures, and lasting traditions. In 1980, they welcomed their son, Richard Dietrich “Ricky” Stauffacher. Mary devoted herself to raising Ricky and caring for their home while supporting Rick’s orthodontic career. Together, they built a family life centered on their son, relatives, friends, and the many experiences they shared.

Rick and Mary enjoyed family vacations, gardening, spending time with Ricky and their dogs, and following sports, especially the Badgers, the Packers, and the Brewers. Rick and his family enjoyed vacations to Manzanillo and Cozumel, Mexico, as well as trips to the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia. Family holidays in Baraboo were another cherished tradition. Their beloved dogs, Zipper and Roxy, were treasured members of the family. Mary passed away on April 12, 2023, after more than 43 years of marriage.

Outside of his profession, Rick had an enduring appreciation for the outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, hiking, biking, birdwatching, and spending time with dogs. For many years, he traveled to Colorado on elk hunting trips and to remote lakes in southern Ontario on fly-in fishing adventures with family members, including his brother, John, brother-in-law, Jerry Vogt, nephew Dustin Kopecky, and son Ricky. An enthusiastic cyclist, he regularly rode distances ranging from short outings to longer rides. As he grew older, he transitioned from cycling to walking, maintaining his appreciation for being active outdoors. Rick was also an avid reader with wide-ranging interests. He particularly enjoyed thrillers, crime novels, Tony Hillerman’s mysteries, and books exploring nature and the American landscape, including works by William Least Heat-Moon. He enjoyed listening to NPR, jazz, and classic rock, and keeping up with the news and politics, and maintained a lifelong curiosity about science and the world around him.

Rick especially enjoyed the craftsmanship involved in fishing and hunting. He made his own fly-fishing lures, painted fishing jigs, and carefully added feathers and other materials to improve their appeal to fish. He also made his own shotgun bullets. These hobbies reflected his curiosity, creativity, and attention to detail.

Family vacations were an important part of Rick’s life. During the 1980s, Rick, Mary, and Ricky spent several summers at Lake Namakagon near Hayward, Wis. Those trips included boating, fishing, visits to Hayward’s famous musky museum and lumberjack shows, and memorable outings with Ricky to a lakeside bar to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Rick was also a part-owner of a family cabin near La Farge, Wis., beginning in 1985 and continuing into the 2010s. The cabin was a gathering place for family and friends, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, relaxation, and weekends spent together.

Family remained an important part of Rick’s life. He shared a special connection with his son, Ricky, and took pride in his growing family, including Ricky’s partner, Meghan Roed, and granddaughters, Marit and Ellis Roed.

Throughout his life, Rick combined professional dedication with a love of adventure, learning, craftsmanship, and the natural world. His experiences stretched from the flight decks of a Navy aircraft carrier to the lakes of northern Wisconsin and Ontario, the mountains of Colorado, and the roads of the Canadian Rockies. Above all, Rick’s life was enriched by his marriage to Mary Jane, the family they raised, and the countless memories they created together. He will be remembered for his affable demeanor, kindness, curiosity, adventurous spirit, dedication to his patients, and love of family. His was a life filled with meaningful work, remarkable adventures, and stories that will continue to be shared by those who knew and loved him.

Rick was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jane; his parents; and brothers-in-law, Jerry Vogt and Joe Pilon. He is survived by his son, Rick Stauffacher (Meghan Roed); granddaughters, Marit and Ellis and granddog, Dodie; his siblings, Stephanie Pilon, John (Diane) Stauffacher, Margot (Frank) Kopecky, and Jann Stauffacher; and many brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and friends.

Special thanks to Colette Bunde for her ongoing help with Rick’s care over the past several years. Also a special thank you to the staff at Noel Manor in Verona, where Rick resided in his final years.

A visitation will be held at GUNDERSON FITCHBURG FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Friday, November 20, 2026. A memorial service will follow at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Burial will take place in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Baraboo, Wis.

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

Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Road
(608) 442-5002

Richard "Rick" Stauffacher

November 19, 1943 - November 01, 2026

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