Fay Emden

Emden, Fay J.

Madison: Fay Jerome Emden, 90, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg. He was born to Clyde and Lyllyan Emden on December 20, 1925 in Rhinelander, where he spent his youth. He married Joan C. Janssen on August 11, 1962 at Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison. He acquired 4 children as well on that day, Elizabeth, Dirk, Bill, and Margie Janssen.
He served two hitches in the US Navy, one in WWII and the other during the Korean War. He was stationed in the Pacific both times. He was a shipfitter, third class and his specialty was mechanical maintenance and repair. After his discharge from the navy, he exercised his expert mechanical skills installing and repairing garage doors, rolling steel curtains and coolers in homes and businesses across Madison, around Wisconsin, and various places out of state.
He was an expert of making something useful out of salvage, remnants and other bits and pieces. He could fix just about anything and everything about our home was always in excellent running order. His vegetable garden was a thing of beauty, and the flowers always put on their best show for him.
He loved fishing on Lake Mendota, and camping with his wife and children in Northern Wisconsin. Fay was a gregarious man, able to converse with anyone, anywhere. He had a fund of comical stories that he never tired of telling, and we never tired of hearing. He was a member in good standing of two McDonalds coffee groups, and he loved to take his great-grandchildren to McDonalds for breakfast,
He is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Lyllyan, his sisters Dorothy and Beryl, his brothers Elwood, Richard, and Dexter, and his son William Janssen.
He is survived by Joan, his wife of 54 years; His children, Elizabeth (Jeffrey) Remfert, Dirk Janssen, Marjory (James) Blare; grandchildren, Anne Gyura, Jane Remfert, Jim Blare, Jeannette Blare, Andrew Janssen, Stephen Janssen, Holly Janssen, Hanna Janssen and 5 great-grandchildren.
Services will be held on Saturday, October 1st at Christ Presbyterian Church, 944 East Gorham St. Madison, Wisconsin. There will be a gathering reception at 3:30 to greet the family, and the service will begin at 4:30.
There will be no interment, as was his wish, Fay was cremated, and his ashes will await Joan's before they are laid to rest.
The family prefers memorial to Christ Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and an usher for 30 years.
Please share your memories of Fay.


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6021 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
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