Obituary: Kay (Rogers) Berthelsen - Class of 1963

MIDDLETON-  Kay (Rogers) Berthelsen passed away on December 4, 2013 from complications of COPD at the age of 68. She was born in Madison on April 28, 1945 and was a lifelong resident of the city, raised by her mother, Eleanor and grandmother, Catherine.

Kay graduated from Central High School in 1963 and attended UW-Madison. She worked in office management for several law firms around the city. She was the co-owner of Morgan's Bar. She moved on to the Morris Heifitz Recycling Company which she managed for many years and then purchased and successfully operated until her retirement in 1996.

She met the great love of her life in 1991 and eventually married John Berthelsen in 1995. They enjoyed travel and wonderful times together, especially at their second home in Las Vegas where she spent winters for four of her last years. She was preceded in death by her mother, father and brother Mike. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Kim, step-daughter Angie, step-son Derek and grandchildren Merissa, Kelsy, Elias, Sawyer, Emmitt and Finnegan. Visitation will be held at the Cress Center, 6021 University Ave., Madison, WI 53705 from 9 to 11 on Saturday, December 7. A celebration of Kayʼs life will be held at 11:00, followed by a light lunch at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Meriter Foundation.

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on December 5, 2013. Submitted by Michael Vahldieck (Class of 1968).