Stanley Pfrang

Stanley David Pfrang passed away on November 18, 2025. The cause of death was complications due to Parkinson’s Disease. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dave and Anna Pfrang and survived by his sisters, Mary (Michael) Gage, Catherine (Steve) Dahlberg, and Judy Pfrang; beloved nieces and nephews, Sam (Renee) Gage, Nick Gage, and Anna (Anthony Avallone) Gage, Brianna (David Durling) Dahlberg, Christopher Dahlberg, and Allie (Mark) Lindert; and 7 grand-nieces and nephews, Brady, Mac, Knox, Rhys, Wyeth, Annabelle, and Eddie.

Stanley, better known to his friends and family by his Polish nickname Staś, was born on January 21, 1961, in Neenah, WI and spent his early life in neighboring Menasha. He attended St. John the Baptist Grade School and St. Mary Central High School.

Staś is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with double majors in Geography and International Relations from the College of Letters in 1983 and a Master of Arts degree from the School of Business in 1989. He always considered himself to be a geographer at heart.

During the time between his academic studies, Staś worked in retail (selling men’s shoes and clothing) and at a mid-west freight forwarding company. His first paying job was at Dave’s Burger Shanty, the drive-in that his parents owned in Menasha. He started there when he was in the 8th grade.

What was initially intended to be a summer internship at the then Wisconsin Department of Development opened the doors to a lifelong career in export consulting and trade promotion. At the end of that internship, his supervisor took a job in New York and Staś was offered the position of Foreign Office Liaison. Over the years, his responsibilities expanded to involve making presentations on global marketing opportunities and one-on-one counseling to novice exporters; designing materials, including websites, newsletters, and annual reports; representing the state at trade shows and conferences around the world; and drafting briefing documents for five different governors and senior agency officials. Staś was very fortunate to be able to travel to a number of different countries for both work and pure pleasure.

Two outstanding highlights included a vacation trip to Egypt that included travel by plane, train, hot air balloon, boat, camel, horse-drawn carriage, and foot; and a second trip to central Europe with sisters Mary and Cathy that included time with his Polish relatives and a visit to the village where his grandfather was born. Trips to the Boundary Waters in winter and summer were also travel favorites.

Staś retired from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) in 2022. During his last couple of years with WEDC, he represented the organization on the board of directors of the Hessen-Wisconsin Society, a non-profit organization which promotes ties between Wisconsin and its partner state of Hessen in Germany. Staś subsequently remained with the group as a private member.

After retiring, Staś also joined the board of directors for the Madison Committee on Foreign Relations (MCFR).

Staś served on the board of directors of the Madison International Trade Association (MITA) from 1997 through 2024 and was president of the organization in 2000-2002 and 2011-2013.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, December 15, 2025, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at the St. James Church, 1204 St. James Ct., Madison, WI, with Fr. Drew Olson presiding. A visitation will take place one hour prior to Mass, from 9:00-10:00 a.m., at the church.

In lieu of flowers, Staś would have you consider a donation to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Madison; Porchlight Inc. Madison; or to another charity focusing on helping the local homeless. To view this obituary or leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

2418 N. Sherman Avenue

608-249-8257