Sally L. Huegel

Sally Louanne (Kelliher) Huegel, age 61, left our physical world on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at her home in Verona, after a long and extremely courageous fight with metastatic breast cancer. Her sister Susie and husband Brian were at her side.

 Sally is preceded in passing by her parents, Louanne (Lucy) Roberts and Lawrence Kelliher; her beloved sister Mary Kelliher; grandparents Vincent and Frances Lou (Nana) Roberts, and Raymond and Margaret Kelliher; uncles Robert "Bob" Roberts, Dr. Richard Roberts, and Raymond Kelliher; and cousins Mark Roberts, Michael Roberts and Raymond "Mark" Kelliher. 

 Sally is survived by her husband Brian Huegel, and by siblings Nancy Kelliher, Bob (Teri) Kelliher, Susie (Keith) Kinion, and Thomas (Gina) Kelliher. She is also survived by her Uncles, David (Rita) Kelliher, Wayne "Knobby" (Mary) Kelliher and her beloved nieces and nephews Allison, Grant, Ryan, Erin, and Caitlin, as well as her nephews, and their spouses and children, on the Huegel side. And, of course, she leaves behind her most loved of all, her furbaby, Levi! Levi never left her side! A more faithful companion we cannot imagine there being.

 Sally was the eldest of six children. She had a hand in raising and caring for her younger siblings as the family grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. She cherished this responsibility so much; it taught her to be a leader, as well as to be patient, loving and to always say something positive! She graduated in 1981 from Madison West High and attended Madison Area Technical College and Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. 

 She went to work at American TV & Furniture in Madison, where she met Brian Huegel. The two quickly realized that their love was something that would endure forever. They married on September 6, 1986, and almost immediately moved to Tampa to pursue a life of their own with little more than the clothes on their backs. Those days, those lean days, were some of the happiest days of her life. She would spend her days by the pool soaking up the sun's rays and working the late afternoon shift only to join Brian after her shift for some spirited camaraderie with friends. 

 Sally worked for Eastern Airlines in their reservation center and eventually left to go to work at Northwest Airlines in the same capacity during the couple's years in Tampa. What a blessing that move was because it opened the door to her transferring to Dane County Regional Airport in Madison in the winter of 1994. 

 Later that year, Sally's work life took a turn that would change her life forever when she took a position with the University of Wisconsin Men's Basketball Team as a Program Assistant. The relationships built during her tenure there are numerous and forever! While Sally and Brian never had children of their own, she now had dozens of players, student managers, and now their children that would call her home a safe haven, or a place to come for a holiday or weekend dinner, and even crash in one of the many spare rooms during the August changeover days. She loved every one of them so much and they became a part of her/our family to this day! That job gave her the opportunity to travel to so many places and to make lifelong friends with so many from the program. 

 She then moved on to a more secure position with the State of Wisconsin in the Department of Employee Trust Funds. Sally loved helping others. She felt most comfortable when she was taking care of people and helping them navigate through the difficult processes of retirement and the calculations of their benefits. (She probably should have been a teacher, we always figured). Sally remained in that position until the progression of her disease forced her to retire, shortly before her passing. 

 Sally was passionate about Wisconsin Basketball long after she left her position with the team. A season ticket holder since 1994, she rarely missed a game. This past season, she made it to two games, even though it took every ounce of energy for her to be there. She was NOT going to miss being there for her close friend Howard Moore's return to the Kohl. 

 Sally enjoyed travelling, albeit it in short stints. She wasn't much for long vacations. She rather enjoyed a four-day getaway instead, so that she could either bring her Levi along with her or return to his side as soon as she could. Door County was her happy place, more specifically Glidden Drive with her close friends Bill and Suzann. The smile that place put on her face and the peace she felt there is unmatched. 

 Her love for her furbabies was beyond compare. Regal, Rollie, Rudy, Drew and now Levi were what she lived every day for. Regal lived to be just over 18 years old. Rollie was short-lived, but Sally and Brian kept him comfortable and as happy as possible while he battled the disease he contracted while he was in the abusive home we rescued him from. Both Rudy and Drew lived to be over 15 years old. She took immense care in making sure that her pups were happy and healthy! When death was upon her, she still was thinking about Levi. Her last request was that Levi and Brian would find a way to heal after her passing and that they would be OK. 

 Sally was the type of Wisconsin girl every man dreams of! Someone that would be ready at the time she said she would be. If something last-minute came up, she could put her hair in a ponytail and throw a baseball cap on and be ready to leave the house in 15 minutes. On those occasions she was never more beautiful in her husband's eyes. Her beauty had no need for enhancement. She was perfect the way she was! We challenge you to find a bad picture of Sally! She was always radiant, with her wry smile and side-eye sassy glance. 

 She loved to go out and be social, including evenings at pubs telling stories, listening to friends tell her about their day or life, heck, even strangers sometimes! She preferred a casual dining experience in a nice pub to an overpriced fancy (foo-foo, as she called it) establishment. That being said, her favorite was dining at Delaney's for Valentine’s Day with close friends every year. A house Chardonnay and the prime rib sandwich in the bar area, of course, was her favorite! Oh, that Chardonnay! How she loved to sit with friends and have a glass or two. 

 Sally’s life was filled with many, many friends who loved her. While, in the end, she was not up for visitors or, in the final days and weeks, even able to have them, she so appreciated all of the love shown to her through the many cards, flowers, texts and calls. She wasn't able to return most messages, but please know they brightened her days! 

 In those final days, she was so blessed to have incredible people at her side taking care of her: her sisters Susie and Nancy, along with friends Jill, Martha, Heidi, Kathy and especially Noreen. God bless you all. You didn't have to take that time out of your busy lives, but you did, and you are absolute saints for doing so. 

 Thank you so much for her care team at UW Health for fighting to keep her going and trying everything you could to rid her of this horrible disease. Thank you to Agrace Hospice for making it seamless and possible for her to remain in the home and as comfortable as possible. For that, we will be eternally grateful. 

 In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Agrace or the Dane County Humane Society in her name. 

 A Memorial Service for Sally is scheduled for 1:15 PM on Friday, October 11, 2024, at Holy Wisdom Seminary, 

4200 County Hwy M, Middleton WI, with a casual reception afterwards to celebrate Sally and share a glass of Chardonnay in her honor. 

 A Celebration of her life and chance to share stories and love for her will be held on her favorite day of the year, the Eve of Thanksgiving. November 27, 2024, (5:00 PM until 8-ish), at The Draft House Restaurant, 1010 Enterprise Drive, Verona WI. She so loved her Thanksgiving Eve Parties. Filling her home with friends on the night before T'giving was heaven to her, so it is only fitting that we have one more in her honor! Attend if you can, she will be so happy to see us all there.