James Ebben
December 12, 1936 - November 30, 2020
Obituary
Due to the difficult circumstances of COVID 19, a live stream of Jim Ebben's Funeral Mass will be provided at 11:00AM on Monday, December 7th, 2020 so that friends and family may still be present. Here is a link to the live stream: https://www.youtube.com/c/StThomasAquinasChurchMadison/
MADISON – James Adrian “Jim” Ebben, age 83, passed away on Monday, November 30, 2020, surrounded by family at Agrace Hospice.
We celebrate today a truly great man and a life well lived. A man who lived to serve and left his mark on many. A man who loved life abundantly, centered on faith, family and friends. A proud father and grandfather who taught with patience, led with grace, and loved without bounds. An eternal optimist, tireless cheerleader, and life-long learner, who inspired each of us to greatness. We have been honored and blessed to share his journey here on earth.
If we have learned anything from Jim, it is to have “just one more,” to enjoy life, treasure our time with family and friends, laugh, smile, and make every encounter, no matter how seemingly insignificant, meaningful. He will be remembered by all who met him for his gracious, generous, loving spirit. He often said, “There is a piece of God in every person,” and this was evident in how he lived.
Jim was born on December 12, 1936 in Little Chute, Wisconsin, to Simon and Marie (Hietpas) Ebben. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and English from Holy Cross Seminary, Master’s degrees in Philosophy from both Marquette University and Duke University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University. In the first 20 years of his career, he held administrative positions at Thomas More College in Northern Kentucky and Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan.
In 1987, Jim came to Madison to become the first lay President of Edgewood College, a position he held for 17 years. He came with a vision and a mission for the college, and the enthusiasm and tenacity to accomplish these. At his retirement he was described as “a force of nature…the enduring spark that transformed the college.” During his tenure, enrollment doubled, the physical plant more than doubled, more degrees were added, and more than $23 million in donations poured in. Jim often said, “To be a great leader, you need those around you to trust you and believe in you enough to let you lead them.” He was, without question, a great leader.
Jim gave generously of his time and counsel to many organizations in the Madison area. He served on the boards of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra League, Madison Opera, St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic Charities, and the Madison Downtown Rotary Foundation. He served as the President of both the Boy Scout’s Glacier’s Edge Council and the Madison Serra Club, and was a regular Lector and Commentator at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. He enjoyed playing bridge, especially with the MSOL men’s bridge group, Monday night poker at the Madison Club, symphony and opera performances, and traveling the world with friends and family.
Jim will be dearly missed by an endless list of people whose lives he touched greatly, including Marilyn, his loving wife and soulmate of 57 years, his 3 devoted children, Cheryl (Doug) Ladd, Maureen (Chris) MacVane, Jay (Chantelle) Ebben, his 9 grandchildren, Sarah, Kristen, Will, Abigail, Ella, Alex, Rosetta, Celia, and Sy, and his 6 siblings, Eunice Verstagen, Ruth Harp, Sheila Romensko, Mary Ann Gehl, Al Ebben and Elaine Rathsack. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his stepmother Cecelia Van Asten, his sister Elaine and his stepbrother Don Vanden Hogen.
Jim’s family would like to give a special thanks to the kind and caring staff at Agrace Hospice, who made it possible to spend precious time with family in his final days.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:00am on Monday, December 7, 2020, at ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHLIC CHURCH, with Fr. Bart Timmerman presiding. There will be a visitation at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Monday, December 7 from 9:30am until the time of mass.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial donations be made to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Edgewood College and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.
To view and sign Jim’s guestbook, please visit www.ryanfuneralservice.com.
Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services
2418 N Sherman Ave
608-249-8257