Judge Mark A. Mangerson, age 71 of Rhinelander, died Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, surrounded by his wife and children. Mark was born Dec. 26, 1948, to Don and Elsie (Janke) Mangerson.  Mark grew up in Rhinelander and graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1967.  He was on the football team, was a member of the debate club, and was selected to Badger Boy’s State.

He attended Valparaiso University where he earned his B.A. in 1971 and his Juris Doctorate in 1974. He started his career in law and public service that same year. He was appointed District Attorney/Corporation Counsel for Vilas County and served until 1976.  In 1977 he was appointed District Attorney for Oneida County and served until 1979. From 1980 to 1988 he was in Private Practice in Minocqua and Rhinelander.  Mark was the first judge elected to the newly created Oneida County Circuit Court Branch II in 1988. His career as Oneida County Circuit Court Judge lasted over 23 years where he worked hard to provide the people of Oneida County with a fair interpretation of the law.  He operated with integrity and was respected by his peers, by the Wisconsin State Bar Association, and the legal community as a whole. In 2011 he was appointed to the Wisconsin State Court of Appeals for the Third District where he served from 2012 until his retirement in 2014. In addition, he served on the Executive Committee, Wisconsin Judicial Conference, Judicial Council, was voted the 2006 ABOTA Judge of the Year by his peers. He was a member of the Chief Judges Committee on Child Support; former District 9 Deputy Chief Judge; served as faculty at the Wisconsin Judicial College; and was a former chair on the Criminal Jury Instructions Committee. Mark had a great respect for the rule of law and for the people who appeared before him.

Mark loved living in the Northwoods and being part of this community where he was a past member of Kiwanis and donated his time to the Food Pantry.  He was a lifelong member of Zion church where he served on the board and as legal counsel. In the summer you could find him on his pontoon boat fishing with Bev or just enjoying a cocktail.  He was a longtime member of the Rhinelander Country Club. On Thursdays he and his golf partner, Gary Cahak, enjoyed winning during league play and then going to the clubhouse to beat all the other guys at cards. In the fall Mark looked forward to going to the O’Melia deer camp with his friends and colleagues to enjoy the woods, tell stories, and maybe see a buck.  Mark was an excellent cook.  He loved to research recipes and cook for his family and friends. He enjoyed time with his friends in “Birthday Club” where they would get together to celebrate another trip around the sun, some good food and drinks, and each other.

Mark and Bev loved to travel. Whether it was to see their grandchildren on the East Coast, Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Colorado or on a river cruise through Europe, they were sure to have fun exploring together. Mark especially looked forward to his yearly trip to Lambeau with his sons to cheer on the Packers, spend time together, and talk mostly about the defense.  He was a tailgate master who would not only bring all the gear to be comfortable at the end of the truck and a jar of pickled eggs, but also cooked things like: the world’s best brat, crab cakes, balsamic portobello mushroom sandwiches, and fried banana pudding in the lot. Always the optimist, the license plate on the truck read: “THISYR.” Maybe this year Dad…

Mark is survived by his wife of 26 years, Beverly; his sister, Ruth (Mangerson) Schiek; sons, Joshua (Sarah), Jesse (Carissa), Jacob (Polly), and James (Alison) Mangerson; stepsons, Matthew (Amy) and Mark Plautz; grandchildren, Dominic, Ryder, Quinn, Abigail, Lily, Virginia, Robert, Ella, Lucy, and Felicity.

A memorial is being established in Mark’s name and the Mangerson family asks that you honor Mark by participating in our democracy and voting in November. (Carlson Funeral Home)