David G. Taddey

David G. Taddey, 61, passed away June 29th in his Arbor Vitae home after a valiant battle with cancer. Born in Milwaukee, Dave grew up in the Minocqua area, living the Northwoods life to the fullest- fishing, hunting, camping out, bike riding, boating, waterskiing, and snowmobiling. In his teens he excelled at boxing and graduated from Lakeland Union High School in 1978.

After high school, he found himself with a young family and worked to put himself through Milwaukee School of Engineering. He settled in Hartford and was employed by Custom Products for several years, travelling extensively in his work auditing facilities. Eventually he returned to the Northwoods and was self-employed as a building contractor, but truly found his calling as a volunteer firefighter. His final career was what he considered his dream job with Northstar Emergency Vehicle Service, certifying and repairing emergency vehicles throughout the state. He often said he was lucky to get to do what he loved, playing with fire trucks every day.

Over a span of almost 20 years, Dave was a member of the Pike Lake, Boulder Junction, and Minocqua Fire Departments, retiring in 2020. He gave very freely of his time and could often be found working on vehicles or projects at the station. He volunteered for fundraising and community service or just simply helped anyone in need.

Dave definitely had his favorite local hangouts, where his laughter and stories will be sorely missed. It quickly became clear to anyone who knew him that he was deeply patriotic and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. He certainly was one of a kind and there was never any doubt about his opinions or convictions.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald and June Taddey. He is survived by his children, Denise Taddey Coron, Jesse Taddey, and Justin Taddey; their spouses; 11 grandchildren; his life companion, Brenda Wigglesworth; aunts, uncles, and cousins; and many friends.

A memorial service will be held at Nimsgern Funeral Home Chapel, 1025 Margaret St., Woodruff, at 2:00pm on Saturday, July 10, 2021 with a gathering from 1:00 pm till time of service. A celebration, as Dave would have wanted, will follow from 3:00pm-7:00pm at Preuss’s Pub, 1455 US Hwy 51 N, Arbor Vitae.
Online condolences may be shared at nimsgernfuneral.com
NIMSGERN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES IS SERVING THE FAMILY.