Terry Jay Boehlke

Terry Jay Boehlke, of Lake Delton, Wisconsin, was called home on August 21st, 2022 surrounded by family and all the love, after a heroic battle with cancer.

Terry was born on November 6th, 1957 in Onalaska, WI as the first child to Jess and Jeanine (Blank) Boehlke.

Their family spent many weekends camping on Lake Petenwell enjoying the outdoors. He was an active boy who participated in many sports including football, basketball and tennis. A jokester at heart, he would always have funny sayings and witty comebacks for his 3 younger siblings.

Terry loved rock music. In his younger years, he had a vast collection of 8 track tapes, would light up when he heard his favorite Guns N' Roses or AC/DC songs and loved to recount an epic KISS concert where he stood next to the speakers and couldn't hear for 3 days! As he would say, "totally worth it."He would love to tease Ashley and Georgia about his dislike of "Country AND Western music" and they would play it loudly just to get a rise out of him.

On a night out at the Bodega, he would meet the love of his life, Patti (Syse) Boehlke. They were united in marriage in Blanchardville, WI on June 13th, 1981. During this time, Terry picked up a job at Trumpy Cheese and became an EMT/First Responder alongside Patti. They started their life in rural Wisconsin, where the city boy learned how to properly eat lefse, the art of milking a cow, and appreciated the beauty of the farm.

Not long after, Terry was offered a job at Flambeau Plastics in Baraboo and they moved to the new city to start their family. They welcomed a daughter, Ashley, in 1987 and a son, Alex, in 1990. For someone who wasnt sure if they wanted children, he would later tell you they were the best thing in his life. His pride for Ashley and Alex showed through until his last days.

Their family built a beautiful life in Baraboo with many friends to share laughter, dinners on the deck and a good glass of Rombauer Zin with. During these years, Terry found a passion in playing racquetball, bicycling, running and triathlons. He joined the Sharks Bike team, participated in a racquetball league at Tamarack and spent many weekends competing in triathlons. He even completed a Half-Iron Man! The love of the sport and the friends he made along the way would remain with him forever.

Unfortunately, Patti passed away on December 21st, 2008 after a battle with glioblastoma. Terry spent 3 years honoring his vows through sickness and health. He was an amazing caregiver for Patti during her final years and did everything he could to advocate for her care.

A light in the darkness came when Terry met Georgia (Talley) Boehlke. As Terry's great-grandmother, Jane, would say "I don't know how you managed to get TWO amazing women in your life." They were married on October 11th, 2014 at Devil's Lake State Park. Georgia was able to bring the joy of life back to Terry through love. They spent their time enjoying pontoon rides on the lake, kayaking, weekends at the cottage and spending time with their blended family and so many of their dearest friends. Through Georgia, Terry welcomed two more amazing children into his life, Lindsey Schwenn and Troy Kaehne. He supported, cared for and loved them both, as if they were his own.

The biggest spark in Terry's eye came when he was able to spend time being Papa. He loved his grandchildren with all of his heart. Reading dinosaur books with Lochlan and all the FaceTime chats with Aubree and Mila were things he looked forward to most. His love of animals was undeniable. His most beloved companion, Putty the cat, could always bring a smile to his face during the hard times. And in recent years, he always looked forward to spending time with his grand dogs - Luna, Harper, Marshall and Krash.

All of the words on this page do not begin to explain the impact that Terry had on his family, friends and community. He will be remembered for his giant smile, infectious laugh, integrity, respect, constant kindness and an overwhelming compassion for those he loved. He will be remembered for his sense of humor (with some great one-liners), his skill of making delicious soups from scratch, his preference of sitting in the dark (Prince of Darkness), his obsession with the perfect gimlet and his passion for the beach.

Our hearts are broken as we try to envision a world without Terry. He would tell us to "Lighten up, Francis" and dry our tears. He would tell us how beautiful the day is, to feel the sun on our skin and remember all we have to be thankful for. He would tell us to have a good glass of wine as we recount all the amazing memories we have together.

He would tell us we will meet again.

Terry is survived by his wife: Georgia Boehlke. Children: Ashley (Tyler) Erickson, Alex (Angela) Boehlke, Lindsey (Brandon) Schwenn and Troy Kaehne. Grandchildren: Aubree, Mila and Lochlan. Mother-in-Law: Ruth Mell. Siblings: Toni (Bill) Fletcher, Kathy (Larry) Levy and Brad (Angela) Boehlke and all of Georgias siblings.

He was preceded in death by his wife: Patricia (Syse) Boehlke. Parents: Jess and Jeanine (Blank) Boehlke and his grandparents.

An enormous thank you to all of the family and friends that assisted during his battle with rides to Madison, meals, prayers and being an incredible support system for Georgia. Thank you to UW Carbone Cancer Center and Agrace Hospice for the amazing care they provided.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 1st at 11am at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Baraboo, WI with a luncheon to follow from 12:30-3:30pm at Spring Brook Resort (242 Lakeshore Drive, Wisconsin Dells). A visitation will be held prior on Friday, September 30th from 4-7pm at Redlin-Ertz Funeral Home in Baraboo, WI and from 10-11am at St. Paul's prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the UW Carbone Cancer Center.