Richard "Rick" Apfel

Richard “Rick” Alex Apfel, 79, of Madison, died Thursday, September 10, 2026, at home surrounded by family after a years-long battle with lung cancer. Rick was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 8, 1947, to Alexander “Romeo” and Lucille (Clemons) Bertrand. Rick’s own father passed away suddenly when Rick was just two years old and he was adopted by John Apfel when his mother remarried.

Rick grew up as an only child on a farm near Snyder Lake. He attended Hewettville School and graduated from Neillsville High School in 1965. His grandfather, Legare Apfel, lived with his family for a few years during his childhood and became Rick’s first best friend. Legare introduced Rick to a lifelong love of all things outdoors, specifically hunting and fishing.

Rick was drafted into the US Army in 1968 and served as a Sergeant with the 25th Infantry Division ('Tropic Lightning') in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge for his exemplary and meritorious service in a combat zone prior to his honorable discharge in 1970.

After returning home from Vietnam, Rick reconnected with an old high school friend, Steve Kunze, while living in Madison. The two spent the better part of the next 50 years being best friends and created the “Fool Brothers” which included Steve’s three brothers and expanded to include their sons and other friends. The Fool Brothers spent every November at the “Huntin’ Cabin” for gun deer season, and endless other weekends goofing around in Clark County shining deer, fishing, golfing, or otherwise causing mischief.

Rick met his wife, Jan Watson, in 1976, after a surprise setup by friends. Jan and Rick were married in Madison on September 1, 1984. After a brief detour to Florida for a couple years, they settled in Madison, ultimately finding their dream house in Maple Bluff. They spent the next thirty years working, raising Rick’s daughter, Megan, and their daughter, Dana. They were known for their epic Fourth of July parties, impromptu gatherings on the screen porch, and dinner parties.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rick worked as a soil scientist at Ayres Associates, specializing in designing wastewater management systems, until his retirement in 2008. Rick and Jan traveled often, spending weeks at their home in Puerto Rico, visiting friends across the United States, and taking trips with friends to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He survived pancreatic cancer in 2013 and valiantly went multiple rounds with lung cancer. Even while facing cancer, he became a grandfather to Milo and Roarke and continued to golf, hunt, fish, boat, and complete the crossword puzzle every day.

Rick was a lifelong tinkerer, typically found putzing around the garage, yard, or work room at his house or cabin. He rarely met a problem he couldn’t fix with a little “Fool Brother engineering.” He loved playing and watching sports, spending multiple years winning the softball championship with his friends on the Crystal Corner Bar team. His greatest legacy will be his connection with his friends and family, who will miss him, and his sharp wit, dearly.

Rick is survived by his wife, Janice Watson of Madison; daughters Megan (Todd) Douglas of Fort Collins Colorado and Dana Apfel (Matt Debnar) of Madison; grandchildren, Milo and Roarke Debnar. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his best friend and “brother from another mother,” Steve Kunze.

Rick wasn’t a fan of funerals, but he was a big fan of parties. We’ll be celebrating his life, telling stories (some true, many embellished), and shooting tequila in his honor on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the Madison Elks Lodge from 3-7p. There will be a private burial in Neillsville, WI on Monday, October 5, 2026.