Richard "Rick" J. Haase

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Richard “Rick” J. Haase, age 78 of Winneconne, formerly of Appleton, who passed away peacefully during the night at home on June 26, 2025 after a short battle with cancer.

Rick was born on August 15, 1946 in Appleton, son of Roland and Leone (Captain) Haase. On May 26, 1965 he married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Nancy Haase (Dexter). They shared 42 wonderful years of marriage.

Rick spent his career serving on the Appleton Fire Department. He was hired in 1974, promoted to Assistant Relief Engineer in 1981, moved up to Engineer in 1990, and finally as Shift Mechanic in 1995, where he stayed until he retired in 2002. He was best remembered for the creative “nicknames” he came up with for his peers.

Rick’s sense of humor will be remembered by many and it continued through his last days. One of his favorite sayings reads: If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.

Rick was an avid car fanatic, particularly with his Jeep. He enjoyed spending time with his friends and family, being on the water and spending time outdoors. His favorite activities included deer hunting and fishing, and he could man a campfire like no other.

Just like the beloved movie loved by Rick and Nancy, he truly had a wonderful life.

Rick is survived by his two daughters, Paige (Daniel) Schultz of Fremont, and grandson, Cooper, and Kristen (Scott) Voster of Appleton, granddaughter, Callie, and grandson Dylan; his brother, Thomas (Sue) Haase of Appleton; his siblings-in-law, Susan Haase of Appleton, Sandy Dexter of Colorado, Robert (Mary Lou Marshall) Dexter of Scandinavia, Carol (Jerry) Kraft of Clintonville, and Julie Dexter of Appleton. Rick is further survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and good friends.

Rick was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Haase; his parents, Roland Haase and Leone Haase; his brother, James Haase; his sister, Barbara Haase; his parents-in-law, Donald Dexter Sr. and Marcella Dexter; and his brother-in-law, Donald Dexter Jr.

A memorial visitation for Rick will take place on Thursday, July 10, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Wichmann Funeral Home, 537 N Superior Street, Appleton, WI 54911 with firefighter honors and a time for sharing of memories at 7:00 pm.

A second celebration of life will be held at Woodeye’s Bar & Grill in Winneconne on Sunday, July 27, 2025, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The family would like to extend a special “thank you” to those who helped care for Rick in his final weeks, including Aurora Health At Home, Aurora Hospice, Kim from Interim HealthCare, and Amanda from Care Beyond.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to one of Rick’s favorite charities - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org or Disabled American Veterans www.dav.org.