The Honorable Michael W. Brennan passed away on 19 April at the House of the Dove in the arms of his wife Carol. Mike was born on 14 March 1937 in Clintonville, Wisconsin to James and Lorraine Brennan who owned a Five and Dime in Marion.

His father later bought a tavern in Lilly where Mike lived a Huck Finn childhood building dams, catching fish and frogs in the Wolf River and building fires to fry and eat them. He enjoyed taking apart items such as radios and his bicycle and then requiring help to reassemble them. He was a boy with great curiosity, a trait that lasted his life.

In 1951 his family moved to Eland where he attended Wittenberg High School for three years before entering college at UW Eau Claire. During his undergraduate years he tended bar at the local upscale hotel where he had many interesting experiences, including meeting the family of future President Jack Kennedy, and introducing him to the student body. He also met Patricia Sanders of Marshfield where his family lived at that time. They met through a blind date arranged by a Columbus High School nun. They were married in 1959.

Following his graduation for UW Eau Claire he began law school at UW Madison. Mike and Pat began their family while she worked in the lab at the VA Hospital and he worked part time at a liquor store.

After receiving his JD degree in 1964, the family moved to Neillsville where he practiced law in the firm of Johnson and Brennan. In 1971 Governor Lucy appointed him to the Clark County bench. He later became a Circuit Court Judge with court reorganization and served in the capacity for 28 years. As judge he served as Associate Dean of the Wisconsin Judicial College and Faculty Advisor at the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada. He and his longtime friend Tom Barland helped to rewrite the Wisconsin Juvenile Code. Later, he was appointed by the Governor to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and served as Chair.

Together he and Pat raised their three children in Neillsville. They enjoyed 38 years of marriage, building a home, traveling, participating in community service and in the Marshfield food club, Chef’s Choice. Pat died suddenly of a brain aneurism in 1997, leaving Mike, their children and many friends bereft.

In 2001 Mike married Dr. Carol McCart then CEO and Dean of the UW Marshfield/Wood County campus. With Marshfield as their home base, they shared twenty-five years of adventures. Together they hosted dinner parties for charities including Hope Lodge and New Visions Gallery, and for friends and family. They cherished their annual visits to American Players Theater and Door County. Summer travels also included an annual trip to New York State to spend time with dear friends Pat and Steve who hosted them at the Chautauqua Institute.

Mike believed in community and served on the UW Marshfield-Wood County Foundation Board where he and Andrea Harkins created and oversaw the campus charity dinner and evening, Food For Thought. He was Scholarship Chair of the Marshfield UW Alumni Association. And he also chaired Marshfield’s newly formed Ethics Committee.

After retirement Mike and Carol traveled to many parts of the world, enjoying adventures throughout the United States and abroad, including Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. For almost twenty years they considered the Hotel Santa Fe in Puerto Escondido, Mexico a second home. In later life they discovered cruising and sailed to Scandinavia, the Caribbean, Greece, Turkey, the Panama Canal, and Venice.

Mike enjoyed numerous hobbies. Each spring when living in Neillsville, he made maple syrup. He shot competitive trap for many years. He was a ham radio operator, holding an Amateur Extra Class license (N9MCH). His life-long passion was food and wine. He taught cooking for many years at the Mid-State Technical College and attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, both for cooking and for wine classes, and took cooking classes in several countries including France and Thailand. His cookbook collection numbers over 700. Mike loved music, especially classical, and art. He was a long time student of 17th century Dutch Genre painters, mainly Vermeer and traveled to various countries to see his paintings. He was an avid Bucky fan. His great sense of humor often reflected his love for wordplay sometimes leaving others confused!

Mike was strong, loyal, playful, wise, fair-minded, a little stubborn, kind, giving, and a news wonk with a curious mind and great integrity. He could be exacting, especially when food did not meet his standards and discriminating in art, music, food and wine. He was brave and determined, surviving four cancer surgeries and remaining active, traveling, and living a full life.

Mike was blessed with many friends, old and new, who assisted, supported, and enriched his life and who never wavered in providing care and help to him and Carol in Mike’s final years. Mike in turn gifted them with his steady friendship, always engaging conversation, thoughtful gifts, and lively and entertaining stories of his youth and past adventures.

He is survived by his wife Carol; his daughters Lisa Brennan, Lakewood Ranch, Florida and Ann Weidenheim (Peter), Holmen, Wisconsin; and his son Sean Brennan (Deon), Marshfield. And by five grandchildren, Amber Keding (Josh); Devlin Brennan (Kara); Brianna Brennan; and Adam and Lauren Weidenheim. Also by three great granddaughters. He is further survived by a sister, Elizabeth Waugh (Peter) and a brother, Patrick Brennan (Nan) both of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

The family wishes to thank the medical caregivers at Marshfield Clinic and Hospital, Mike’s oncologist who came to see him on his day off, the nurses, the doctor who visited him every day, and his favorite DNP who also came. Of course his longtime GP. And the amazing nurses at House of the Dove who treated him with dignity and respect and made his last days comfortable. Also to dear friends and family who were there for him to the end.

Mike wanted a celebration of life (as he said, a party by whatever name). And so there will be one, probably in a couple of months. Please check this website for information.