Kurt Kiefer Obituary
Kurt Kiefer, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and public servant, died peacefully on July 27 in Madison, Wisconsin, surrounded by his family. He was 65.
Kurt was the world’s largest optimist. His optimism was not naïveté, but a practice grounded in his belief that the world could be better and that thoughtful, determined people could help make it so. He was hopeful, curious, intellectually engaged, and guided by his unwavering character and integrity. Each year, he went to see A Christmas Carol, a tradition that reflected the values by which he lived: family, generosity, kindness, and the enduring possibility that people can change for the better.
At the center of Kurt’s life was Jone, his first kiss in seventh grade, his best friend in high school, and his wife of more than 45 years. Kurt loved to tell Abby and Oliver that they were “the product of a great romance.” Their marriage was exactly that: a long and affectionate partnership filled with books, travel, hiking, Packer games, Door County summers, and the family they were immensely proud to have built together.
