Gerald 'Jerry' Bouzek
Gerald “Jerry” Bouzek, of Stoughton, passed away surrounded by family on Friday, June 25, 2021, at age 82.
Always one for the dramatics, Jerry was born on Halloween day 1938. Legend says his mother Helen listened to Orson Welles’ original “The War of the Worlds” radio broadcast during labor and feared her baby was an alien.
Jerry grew up in Prairie du Chien. He loved the Mississippi River where he spent many days, like Tom Sawyer, fishing and skipping school. It is said his second grade teacher had to pay him a penny a day to get him to class. In the summer of his 14th year, he ran away with the circus. At 17, he joined the Navy to see the world.
It wasn’t until he met the love of his life, Karen Frydenlund, that he settled down. He found the yin to his yang as she helped him with his toga at a toga party. They married in 1963 and eventually settled in Stoughton where they raised their family. The couple loved dancing, traveling and finding art of many forms together along the way. Despite his early reluctance to school, Jerry graduated top of his class from UW-Platteville with a degree in education. He taught in the Madison School District for nearly 30 years before his retirement in 1997. Jerry especially enjoyed his time teaching fourth grade at Frank Allis Elementary. Jerry’s passion came from working with his hands. He loved working with wood and passed his craft on to his son David. They spent many hours together in his workshop drinking beer and working on projects. When his daughter DeeDee moved back home after college, with a theatre degree, Jerry found a new love of theatre set building. He built the sets for nearly 50 productions in the Stoughton and McFarland area.
Jerry is survived by wife, Karen; son, David (Barbie) Bouzek; daughter, DeeDee Bouzek; grandchildren, Sophie and Silas Bouzek, all of Stoughton; sisters, Judy Chunat of Wauzeka, Pat (Jim) Labonne of Prairie du Chien; brothers, Mike Bouzek of Prairie du Chien, Peter Bouzek of Florida; brother-in-law, Eric (Betty) Frydenlund of Prairie du Chien; sister-in-law, Jane de Roussan of Montreal, Quebec; many nieces and nephews and beloved cat Cocoa.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Helen Bouzek; and son, Jeffrey Bouzek.
