Victoria Helene Yanggen

Victoria Yanggen (Waller) aged 91 passed away at her assisted living facility in Madison Wisconsin on Thursday May 28, 2026. Victoria was born in 1934 in Arlington Massachusetts in the Boston metropolitan area to Victoria Waller (Dutzac) and Leo Waller. Some of her favorite childhood memories involved staying in her extended family’s summer cottage on the beach in Gloucester Massachusetts. As a teenager, Victoria was the star pitcher for her parish’s softball team which won a city tournament. Her father passed away when Victoria was a young woman just out of high school, but she persevered and worked to put herself through college and earned a degree in Physical Therapy from Simmons College.

When she saw Madison Wisconsin on the cover of Life Magazine described as the “Ideal City” to live in, she applied for and received a job as a physical therapist at the University of Wisconsin. She surprised her family by moving to Madison right of college - promising to return home soon. She fell in love with Madison and stayed for over 65 years. She married Douglas Yanggen and initially gave up physical therapy to raise a family of three children. After her youngest child left home for university, Victoria returned to work as a physical therapist for seventeen years working at Meriter Hospital’s assisted living facility, rising to the head of her department specializing in the care of geriatric patients.

Victoria was politically active. She managed the political campaigns of several local candidates and was the local lead for several national-level campaigns. She also was a long-time member of the League of Woman Voters taking a leadership role on a variety of issues dear to her such as the promotion of renewable energy. Her interest in politics was further reflected by her subscriptions to magazines such as “The Progressive”, “Mother Jones”, and “Foreign Policy”. She was a voracious reader of mystery novels before moving almost exclusively to reading nonfiction. She was a lifelong learner. While known as a frugal woman, she contributed generously to numerous charities with a focus on progressive politics and environmental conservation organizations.

Her interests are too numerous and varied to list, however, she was a highly skilled bridge player, achieving a high ranking and winning several competitions. She was also a passionate gardener and a driving force behind the creation of the Shorewood Hills Community Gardens in her neighborhood. In her later years, she was often seen by neighbors and friends in her yard tending the beautiful flower beds planted all around her house.

One cannot speak of Victoria without mentioning her passion for travel. She made repeated trips to Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, most often accompanied by her children. She also frequently set off alone in her compact car on cross-country trips, camping and sightseeing along the way. Her house was filled with an eclectic collection of handicrafts and art that she collected from all over the world.

Victoria had a wide circle of long-term friends. She was intensely dedicated to her three children who knew they could always count on her support. She is survived by her sons Steven (Keiko), David (Sonia) and daughter Julie (Allan), her beloved grandsons Allan and Daniel and her sister Gladys Buckley. She will be terribly missed by those who knew and loved her. A celebration of life will be held at a future date to be determined.