Erwin Frederick Koenig

Erwin Fredrick Koenig was born on August 31, 1935, to Erwin and Clara Koenig in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He married Candace K Daugherty on April 23, 1966, and raised three children: Jeffrey, Brian, and Melinda, in Madison, WI.

In case you don’t recognize the name Erwin, he was also know as: Erv, Mick and Micky by his parents; Ben, Benji, and Benny, by his wife; Doc, Docky, Doctor Erv, Jocko, Big Erv, Big Daddy, Pops; and Daddy, by his daughter, Mindy.

Erv grew up on North 57th street, just off Capital Drive, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents spoiled their only child as best they could in the years coming out of the Great Depression and into WWII. Without siblings to play with, he became very close to his puppy, Sparky Jeanie, playing with her in the yard, back alley, and down by the crick. The family went on regular summer vacations up north to swim and fish in the lakes. His childhood was well documented by his mother in carefully kept albums and boxes of pictures.

In the first year of Ervs life, his mother, Clara Marie, clipped a page from a magazine with a young boy dreaming of his future and above him floated all the possibilities a person could grow up and become. One of them was “Doctor”, which ultimately became his calling. Erv graduated in the Class of 1953 from Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. After completing his undergraduate degree at Marquette University in 1956, Erv went on to study medicine at Marquette University School of Medicine, now the Medical College of Wisconsin, graduating in 1960 with honors. After medical school, Erv completed his medical internship at Milwaukee County General Hospital.

In 1961, Erv enlisted in the United States Army, serving in Korea as a physician with the rank of Captain for two years. Upon his return in 1963, he moved to the lake adorned city of Madison, Wisconsin, where he took up residence in a small lakeside apartment complex on Monona Drive.

In Madison, Erv, began working as a Physician at Mendota Mental Health Institute. It was at Mendota that he encountered a dark eyed, long haired Nurse eating alone in the cafeteria . He saw her a couple times that week, finally asking a friend who that beautiful Nurse was and was told “I think her name is Candy D.” They spent their first summer together enjoying Madison, especially the lakes on his tiny boat with the giant Evenrude engine, which he named after her, the “Candy Dee”.

That same year, 1965, Erv took a position with the University of Wisconsin as a clinical professor of Medicine, and began his lifelong position as a Physician at University of Wisconsin Health Services.

Erv and Candy were married on April 23, 1966. They soon had two dark haired boys, Jeffrey and Brian, and a decade later their family was complete with the birth of their beautiful daughter, Melinda. They ultimately settled into a home on Lakewood Boulevard in Maple Bluff, where they raised their children. In 1979, Erv lost Candy, the love of his life. With a broken heart and only two hands, he worked hard to raise three children on his own.

After almost 30 years of working at UW Health Services, Erv was able to retire and enjoy the rewards of his hard work. He was able to enjoy time with family and friends. He became quite a gardener, developing his own garden at home, knowing all the scientific names of the plants he cultivated, as well as volunteering at Olbrich Gardens. He was a long time volunteer for Meals on Wheels, delivering meals to seniors and becoming close to those he served. Doc also kept up to date on medicine, and continued to be someone friends and family could call for advice on their health care.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Candace; son, Brian; parents, Clara and Erwin Koenig; mother-in-law, Kathleen Daugherty; father-in-law, Robert Daugherty; and brother-in-law, Duwayne Statz.

He is survived and missed by his eldest son, Jeffrey “Jabo” Koenig; daughter, Melinda Chopra; son-in-law, Karn Chopra; and grandchildren: Jaya, Aakash, and Neena Chopra.

His very close and cherished extended family include sister-in-law, Roberta Valle-Statz and her children, Ticia and Lisa; brother-in-law, Richard Valle; sister-in-law, Darlyn Baus and Phil Baus and their children, Jay “Hazy” and Chris; brother-in-law, Robert and Kellee Daugherty, and their children Robbie, Jessica, and Michael; and In-laws, Jaslin and Amarjit Chopra.

 A private family cremation has taken place and a memorial will be held by family at a later date. To sign and view his guestbook please visit Ryan Funeral Home’s website www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

“The Garden mourns

Cool rain sinks into the flowers.

The summer shivers

quietly to its end.

Leaves fall down one by one, golden,

from the high acacia.

The summer smiles surprisedly and dimly

towards the dying garden dream.

He stands for a long time at the roses,

Longing for a rest.

Slowly he closes his big tired eyes.”

~Hermann Hesse“

And the Lord will continually guide you,

And satisfy your desire in scorched places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

~Isaiah 58:11