Obituaries

James Michael “Mike” Conklin, age 89, of Madison, died peacefully on August 3rd, 2024. Mike was born in Madison on March 23, 1935, to James Bergen Conklin and Grace McManamy. He grew up in the Nakoma area of Madison and graduated from Madison West High School in 1953. He went on to receive his BA and MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1957 where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta social fraternity. He was employed as a sales manager for Thomson & McKinnon during his early career. Starting in 1971, until his retirement, he was a partner for Gaarder & Miller as a business consultant to physicians and dentists. He was very active in business mentoring; having served as chapter chair for SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives), president of the Society for Advancement of Management, and was a member of the Professional Business Consultants. He was also a prolific volunteer; driving patients and parents for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, worked in the St. Vincent DePaul food pantry, was a volunteer in the VA hospital surgical waiting room, and was a long-time blood donor to the American Red Cross.

Traveling was a great love for Mike and his wife Mary Ellen. They visited many states and 40 countries. He enjoyed reading; mysteries and Irish history were his favorites. Watching sports was another enjoyment--Badger sports, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. His favorite sports to watch were his children in soccer and swimming, but the highlight of his sports viewing was taking in his grandchildren’s numerous tennis matches.

The Conklin family was one of the earliest settlers of Madison. His great grandfather, James Conklin, was mayor of Madison for three terms. The Conklin Coal & Ice Co. was established in 1854 and was Madison’s third oldest business concern when it was sold in 1945. While in business, they owned and operated a prominent warehouse on the shores of Lake Mendota for storage of ice cut from the frozen lake. This land later became Conklin Park and is now known as James Madison Park.

He will be greatly missed by his wife of 62 years, Mary Ellen; his children, Kathleen Ann (of Grafton) and Matthew William (of Verona); grandchildren Timothy Noack and Bridget Noack; sister Judith Koslo (William), sisters-in-law Patricia Redding and Juanita Lemancik; brother-in-law Richard Lorang; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, James Patrick “Pat” Conklin who passed Dec. 19, 2013.

A celebration of life will take place at the home of the family on August 25th from 12pm to 3pm. His remains will be laid to rest at Resurrection Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Agrace Foundation (https://www.agrace.org/donate/donate-today/)

The Best

God saw you getting tired

And a cure was not to be.

So He put His arms around you

And whispered “Come to Me.”

With tearful eyes we watched you,

And saw you pass away.

Although we loved you dearly,

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

He only takes the best.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services