Mike Lindsay's Obituary
Mike Lindsay, husband, friend, educator, writer, and mentor, passed away suddenly
on September 14, at the age of 81."
Mike was a proud native of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. While growing up, he was a student athlete,
class vice-president, and his school's representative to Badger Boys State.
Mike received his Bachelor's degree from Stanford University, his Master's from UW-
Milwaukee, and his Ph.D. from Stanford. His most life-changing experience during
this time was attending the Stanford-in-Austria campus, which exposed him to a
culture, history, and language far different from both Milwaukee and California.
A long-time member of Mensa, his modestly shared brilliance as an educator
changed lives year in and year out. During his long career in education, he served
as both teacher and administrator, but spent the bulk of his career as a professor in
the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, both preparing
young people for careers in the teaching field and helping those already in the field
to gain new insights and further develop their skillsets. He was very proud of the
accomplishments of the individuals with whom he worked over the years both in the
classroom and in the field. His influence, wisdom, and imparted knowledge truly
impacted education in western Wisconsin and beyond. The work his students
continue to do is his lasting legacy.
In addition to his accomplishments in the world of education, Mike had a variety of
other interests and passions. He was an avid fan of opera, holding season
membership to the Chicago Lyric Opera for many years, but also attending opera
performances all over the world, and delivering guest lectures on that subject area to
classes at UWEC and the Chippewa Valley Learning in Retirement community.
Mike was present most Thursday mornings at the Eau Claire Democratic Party Coffee
Klatch where he was an active, informed, and passionate participant in discussions
about Eau Claire, the state of Wisconsin and the nation. His always well-received letters
to the editor, appearing in local, regional, and state-wide newspapers, were always fair,
well-thought out, well-presented, and thought provoking.
Mike was also a connoisseur of fine beer and all things German, taking time each
day to read the news in German newspapers. He was a founding member of the
Chippewa Falls (Wisconsin) Oktoberfest, serving on the organizational committee
for its first 17 years. His other Oktoberfest experiences included attending Munich's
Oktoberfest 4 times with his wife Ruth, in addition to their attending 54 consecutive
Milwaukee Oktoberfests. While loving all things German, he also was very proud of his Scottish heritage and able to regale friends with his knowledge of Clan Lindsay.
Mike’s professional and community lives were impressive by any measure, however
they were never the center of his life. Mike met and fell in love with Ruth Ulrich and
they were married in 1975. Without doubt, he always said, being married to Ruth
was the very best part of his life. His love and companionship, generosity and
strength were treasured. He was also devoted to his extended family and his
closest friends – who he treated as family. The love and respect he had for his
mother-in-law, the late Berta Ulrich, was also special. Years ago, when the Leader-
Telegram ran a contest for essays in honor of mothers-in-law, Mike's essay about
Berta won first prize.
During retirement, Mike and Ruth continued their enjoyment of travel. They had
often visited relatives and friends in Germany since the 1980s and beyond, and Mike
expanded these international experiences by contributing to the itineraries for 3
organized trips to Bavaria for people in the Chippewa Valley. He and Ruth also had
repeat trips to the San Francisco Bay Area, Florida, Door County and especially Milwaukee.
Mike Lindsay never met a stranger. He quickly engaged anyone he met, usually
sharing a story that cemented a connection with the person, whether they were from
Eau Claire or from some far-flung place in Europe or beyond. Those relationships
usually turned into more than just “a story told.” Mike was always willing to lend a
hand or use his influence and expertise to help others, and truly make a difference in
their lives. He was deeply committed to making change in the world for the better,
and his philosophy was to accomplish that goal by starting right where he lived. The
outpouring of messages received since his death about the profound difference he
has made in lives of family, friends, acquaintances, and former students bears out all
that has been said here.
At the time of his death, Mike was still a member of varied organizations. These
include the American Educational Research Assn., the Chippewa Valley German
Klub, the Eau Claire County Democratic Party, Historic Milwaukee, Mensa, the
National Geographic Society, the Point Lobos (CA) Foundation, and the Stanford
Alumni Assn.
Mike is survived by his wife Ruth, his sister Erin Leedhom (Scott), his brother Jim
Lindsay (Cindy), nieces and nephews, including special niece Lisa Bieri ( Andy),
special life-long friends Barbara and Jerry Young and Kristy and Michael Sizemore,as well as hundreds of friends in Eau Claire, Milwaukee, across the U.S. and around the world.
Of his life, Mike wanted it to be said that he participated, and he contributed.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held on November 14 from 1-4 p.m. at the Holiday
Inn South in Eau Claire. Hulke Family Funeral Home and Cremation Service is
serving the family.