Philip Dybdahl

Philip George Dybdahl died surrounded by family on November 5th, 2016 at the age of eighty. He was a wonderful man who spent his entire life loving his family, his music, his Norwegian heritage, his gardening and a good joke. Philip Dybdahl (more affectionately known as Phil, Dad, Grandpa) leaves us after an extraordinary life where he made the world more beautiful when singing a song, playing his guitar, making us laugh or tending his dahlia garden.

Phil was born and raised in Vermont Township, Black Earth, WI where he rode his horse, Babe, to school, proudly showed cattle at the Dane County Fair and attended cattle auctions with his father. Philip graduated from St. Olaf College with a degree in economics in 1959 where he was a member of the St. Olaf Choir and his folk troupe "The Four Bards" with which he serenaded his future wife, Audrey Kunau, at Agnes Melby Hall, while standing atop his 1953 Studebaker. In his first entrepreneurial venture, Philip owned and operated the Collegian Café with two partners during his senior year of college.

He married his beloved Audrey in 1960. Early in his marriage he provided for his family by writing and recording advertising jingles ("Team Up With Struck and Irwin") and selling life insurance. In 1970 he began his career as a stockbroker. In 1990, along with his three good friends, Bob Anderson, Jerry Gunnelson and Al Jacobson, he founded Buttonwood Partners, Inc. an independently owned broker dealer. Phil was also in partnership with Bob and Jerry in Monroe Properties, which operated school bus franchises in southern Wisconsin.

For over 30 years, Phil performed 'songs, jokes and other foolishness' as Ole and Sven, entertaining many with his friend David Nelson and later with his son-in-law, Gary Smithback. Philip held song lyrics and melodies in his mind like a human jukebox. One of his greatest hits was "I've Been Everywhere", for which he penned verses for towns in Wisconsin and Norway, and it was something to behold: "Hey Phil, have you been to Norway?" "Ja, I've been there too!" and off he went. Other crowd favorites were his renditions of "Hulda, Come Back", "I Just Don't Look Good Naked Anymore", and "The Auctioneer Song". His mind was also a steel trap for Norwegian jokes; he knew hundreds of them and always had one at the ready.

Phil served on the boards of the Madison Opera, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, the Norwegian American Genealogical Center, the Edvard Grieg Chorus and the Stoughton Village Players. He was a longtime member of Madison Torske Klubben. He enjoyed golfing at the Stoughton Country Club where he had his first hole-in-one.

Phil enjoyed countless trips up North to their Norwegian lake house, Nordheim, where he made maple syrup, walked the trails with his dog, Gudrun, shot fireworks, fished for muskies and made new friends. It was a gathering spot for his growing family from 1989-2015, where many memories were made.

Phil was a Type 1 Diabetic for 62 years and received recognition for living with diabetes for over 50 years from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. He wanted to contribute to a cure for diabetes and donated his body to the National Disease Research Interchange.

Philip George Dybdahl leaves his wife of 56 years, Audrey; his daughters Ellen Smithback (Gary), Anne Odland (Robin), and Kathryn Amyotte (Harry); his grandchildren Solveig Smithback Schroerlucke (Jonathan), Karl Smithback (Stacy), Siri Smithback, Matthias Amyotte, Marin Amyotte, Torsten Odland, Lars Odland; and great-granddaughter Éowyn Schroerlucke, his brother David Dybdahl (Donna), a large extended family and a multitude of friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Viola Dybdahl, and sister Joan Goderstad. He was much loved and is greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial contributions in Philip's name to the American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 11454 Alexandria, VA 22312, Madison Symphony Orchestra, 222 W. Washington Ave., Suite 460, Madison, WI 53703, or Edvard Grieg Chorus, 2262 Winnebago St., Madison, WI 53704.

There will be a visitation from 4-7pm on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at Cress Funeral Home, 3610 Speedway Rd., Madison, WI, 53705. A Memorial Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00 pm on Friday, December 2, 2016 at Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Ave., Madison, WI 53715. Friends and family will gather from 2:30 pm until the time of service at the church. Bunads encouraged.

Cress Funeral Home
3610 Speedway Road
Madison, WI 53705