Dorothy Kapke

“I’m ninety and had a great life,” she would say when anyone asked about her cancer.

Dorothy Ann Kapke died on March 30, 2026, at age 91 at home surrounded by love.

Whether as a reporter for a South Dakota newspaper in the 60s or a public information officer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation from the 70s to the 90s, she could make an ordinary news release a captivating read.

She married Willard Kapke on July 30, 1966, in Vermillion, South Dakota, when both were employed by the University of South Dakota, working with anti-poverty programs on reservations in a 16-state area including Wisconsin. Four years later, they moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to raise their two children, Cynthia and Damon.

She loved spending time with her children, grandson, and “adopted daughter” Sai and her family. She had many close friends throughout her life, many of whom she stayed in contact with until the end. She spent her later years in Madison with some of her closest friends, and she credited them with making those years some of the best in her life.

She was born to Wesley and Vina Fay Jones (Arnold) on March 5, 1935, in Bloomfield, Iowa, where she grew up.

She was preceded in death by her husband Willard Kapke and siblings Lillie John, Robert Jones, and David Jones. She is survived by her daughter Cynthia Kapke (Dennis Murray), son Damon Kapke (Julie Kapke), grandson Dylan Murray, sister Mary Loney, and many nieces and nephews.

There will be no service per Dorothy’s wishes. The family wishes to thank Moments Hospice.

Cress Center

6021 University Avenue

Madison, WI 53705

608-238-8406