Stanley Pfrang

January 21, 1961 - November 18, 2025

Obituary

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

Events

Visitation

Mon Dec 15, 2025 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CST

St. James Catholic Church • 1204 Saint James Ct, Madison, WI 53715

Get Directions Send Flowers for Stanley's Visitation

Mass of Christian Burial

Mon Dec 15, 2025 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CST

St. James Catholic Church • 1204 Saint James Ct, Madison, WI 53715

Get Directions Send Flowers for Stanley's Mass of Christian Burial

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Rob Lewis

Coworker • 2 days ago

I was sorry to hear about Stanley (Stas)'s passing. I remember him well from my working days when I attended international trade events in Milwaukee and Appleton. Condolences to his family on his untimely passing.

Sharon Stuessy

Friend • 4 days ago

Meeting Stas in the halls at the Department of Commerce, I immediately saw someone who was genuinely kind and appreciated. I wish that I had known him better. Hearing of his passing is a shock and great loss.

Scott Helker

Friend • 6 days ago

Any of us is fortunate if we have friends in our lives who are always there—tried and true friends—who, though they may not be nearby or frequently in contact, still extend our connections into the wider world, who remember birthdays and anniversaries and holidays with thoughtful cards, and with whom we share a formative history. Stas was that rare and special friend. My wife Lisa and I have known him well since our schooldays at St. Mary’s Central. He was involved: class leadership offices, Spanish Club, Swing Choir, Adult Choir, Liturgy Committee. A highlight in our memories is the (much-acclaimed!) 1979 production of Fiddler on the Roof, where Stas played The Rabbi—and a convincing rabbi he was. Stas got me my job at his parents’ place, Dave’s Burger Shanty, where Dave and Anna—the most wonderful people—became very special to me. Stas and I had big adventures together: taking the bus to Chicago before we could even drive and unaccompanied by adults to see A Chorus Line on the stage and to visit the city for a couple of days (we discovered that Trader Vic’s didn’t check IDs for Mai Tais with dinner), going to jazz concerts in Milwaukee when we COULD drive (with titans like Oscar Peterson and Sarah Vaughan), and bicycle touring and camping from Menasha to the tip of Door County and back one summer. Then came Madison, where Stas was the most constant friend—reveling together in the antics of the student government Pail and Shovel Party (Pink Flamingos, Telephone Olympics, the Statue of Liberty on the Lake Mendota ice). We were there at the creation! We enjoyed live music and concerts, State Street miscellany including Rocky Rococo Pizza and Parthenon Gyros, the Kollege Klub, and Halloween on State Street—’nuff said. Stas and I made his first of many Boundary Waters canoe trips together in the week before Lisa and I were married, and he stood up in our wedding party. After that, we went our separate ways but connected when we could as we moved around the country. When in Wisconsin, we frequently found time to get together in Madison and enjoyed beers at the Memorial Union under his Wisconsin Alumni membership. And always went to the Parthenon. Stas, we will miss you. Thank you for being a wonderful and steadfast friend for all these years. And for all the cards.

Vincent Lencioni

Coworker • 10 days ago

He was a great guy, always professional but always a lot of fun as well. I enjoyed working with him for 15 years and stayed in touch less than I would have liked to after my days ended working with the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

Richard Zurba

Coworker • 13 days ago

Stas was a colleague and friend of mine starting in January 1999 when our team started working with the Wisconsin Dept of Commerce through the Great Lakes St Lawrence Governors & Premiers. Stas was always friendly and differential, never letting the spotlight fall on himself but amplifying and supporting others. He was always kind and conscientious, a perfect character for the role he took in helping others to make their mark in international sales across the world. Our teams in Africa got to know him well. It was my pleasure to share many conversations over meals and drinks with Stas. He was a man of sometimes strong opinions (if you could get it out of him) but gently conveyed, someone who did show Christ in how he lived his life. I am presently traveling in Egypt on work, and know that many of the sites I have visited are the same ones he saw in years past, and I have said a prayer of thanks for Stas as I passed through some of the same places he visited. I will miss seeing him next time I visit Madison. I am looking forward to one day resuming a conversation with him in another place. Kind regards, Richard Zurba / the GSGP Teams in Africa and the Caribbean.

Hessen-Wisconsin Society

Friend • 15 days ago

Hessen-Wisconsin Society Stan was a passionate ambassador for international dialogue, collaboration, and friendship. As a Board member, Secretary, and participant in our Marketing Committee he helped the Hessen Wisconsin Society regain our focus during a difficult time. He enabled us to connect more deeply with our German counterparts in the Hessen Wisconsin State Partnership, modernize our digital presence, and encourage all of us to continue the pursuit of our mission "To create and nurture cultural, educational, business, and government level connections, exchanges and collaboration between Hessen and Wisconsin." We will miss your contributions, your friendship, and your warm personality. Rest in peace, Stan.