Daniel Kokott

Madison - Daniel Kokott was born August 13, 1931 to Rose (Waldera) and Michael Kokott of Arcadia, Wisconsin. He grew up on a farm where plowing was still done by horses, bread was baked in an outdoor wood-fired oven, and Polish was spoken in the home. He attended St. Michaels, a one-room schoolhouse, and graduated from Arcadia High School. He served in the U.S. Army, fighting at the front in Korea, and was honorably discharged.
After returning home, he graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and became a highly-respected HVAC designer and consultant. In 1960, he and Jean MacKenzie married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Madison, where they settled. With great pride they raised two sons, Robert and John, and later enthusiastically welcomed their daughter-in-law Melissa and grandsons Nicholas and Tyler. His family means everything to him.
Dan was a long-time member of St. Maria Goretti Church where he loved to sing in the choir and volunteered in many ways. He served as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, was a member of the American Legion Post 151, coached little league football, refereed high school football, served on the board of the West Madison YMCA, volunteered on Madison's Zoning Board of Appeals, and helped restore the wild turkey to his beloved Wisconsin through his activism with the National Wild Turkey Federation.
He was an avid fisherman, hunter, golfer, and bowler, and generally outplayed everyone at Bridge, Euchre, Sheepshead, and Cribbage. Everyone found warm welcome at his door. For that, and so much more, he was and is deeply loved by all his big family and numerous friends old and new.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife, Jean; sons, Robert and John (Melissa); grandsons Nicholas and Tyler; special Godson and nephew, William Kokott; many other wonderful nieces and nephews; Jean's relatives; and good friends.
The family wishes to thank the loving and professional caregivers at the VA Hospital, All Saints Memory Care, Agrace Hospice, and BrightStar Memory Care where he passed away peacefully, at the age of 83, on November 9th.
A visitation will be held from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5313 Flad Avenue, Madison, with Fr. Vince Brewer presiding. A visitation will also be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at church on Thursday.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Agrace HospiceCare, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711; St. Maria Goretti Church Choir, 5313 Flad Avenue, Madison, WI 53711; or Alzheimer's Association, South Central Wisconsin, 7818 Big Sky Drive, Ste. 109, Madison, WI 53719.


Cress Funeral & Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road, Madison
608-238-3434
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www.cressfuneralservice.com