Daniel Stuart Ruedinger

Daniel S. Ruedinger, born May 1, 1943, to Marcel and Gertrude (Ratajczak) Ruedinger, passed away surrounded by the love of his family on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Dan grew up as a hardworking farm kid south of Oshkosh. He attended St. Vincent School and Oshkosh High School, graduating in 1961. He loved telling us stories about those days, especially driving the tractor down the gravel road that was then County Road C and is now Interstate 41.

His cousins in Nordheim introduced him to their neighbor, Linda Kallin. Dan fell in love quickly and did his best to impress her with his roller-skating skills at the Westward Ho. They were married on February 23, 1963, and the farm kid soon became a "city slicker."

Dan loved cars and stock car racing. In his younger years, most nights after work were spent at the track or working on the race car. More than once, he worked on the car until morning, came home just long enough to change clothes, and headed straight back to work.

He spent more than 20 years at Universal Foundry in Oshkosh while he and Linda raised their four children, three girls and a boy. Their oldest and youngest even managed to arrive on the same date, 16 years apart.

To his kids, Dan was also "Mr. Fix It." No matter what we broke, Dad could almost always figure out how to fix it. And if he couldn't fix it, it was probably actually broken.

More than anything, he showed up for us. He was the dad who would get down on the floor and play games, try out whatever science experiment we had just seen on TV, and somehow make even the little things fun. We always knew Dad was there.

Dan loved his job as a molder and was devastated when the foundry closed in 1985. A new opportunity took the family to Rockford, Illinois, where he led the warehouse team at RC Cola for seven years. Eventually, he asked to transfer back home to Oshkosh with 7UP Bottling.

And Dan was very happy to be home.

Family was everything to him. He loved having everyone together, especially if a game of Sheephead broke out. He didn't need anything fancy. Having his family nearby was enough.

Retirement turned out to involve a little too much sitting around for Dan, so he picked up a few part-time jobs, including Fleet Farm and later Sara Lee.

In August 2020, Dan suffered a spinal cord injury that left him in a wheelchair. At 77 years old, he suddenly had to learn a completely new way of doing the everyday things most of us never think twice about. It wasn't easy, but he adapted and kept going.

Through all of it, he stayed the same friendly, laid-back guy people had always known. Dan was just easy to like. He rooted for the underdog, tried to understand people instead of judging them, and would do just about anything for someone who needed him.

He was also an incredibly patient man. Well, unless you were talking too loudly during a Packer game.

His mother even called him "Saint Danny" in her later years because of the patience he showed her. And if you knew Dan, you knew that patience wasn't something he saved just for family. It was simply part of who he was.

The last several years were hard. His spinal cord injury brought complication after complication, and eventually Dan decided he had fought long enough. He was tired and ready. We weren't ready to lose him, but we understood.

In the end, Dan left this world surrounded by the family who meant everything to him.

Dan is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Linda (Kallin); daughters, Tammie Dodd (Randy Mroczenski), Michele Ruedinger, and Patti (Wes) Langkau; son, Daniel Ruedinger; sisters, Sharon (Rocky) Brigham and Peggy Ruedinger-Karls; sisters-in-law, Barbara Kallin and Suzanne Ruedinger; grandchildren, Travis Dodd, Cassie (Adam) Hintzke, Adam Ruedinger, Abby Ruedinger (Nate Lang), and Nolan Ruedinger; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and three granddogs.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Marcel and Gertrude; brother, Martin; son-in-law, Mark Dodd; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Lois (Robert) Horejs, Jane (Jack) Ferch, Nancy (Norbert) Konitzer, Georgia (Glen) Blackburn, Karen (Allyn) Schrank, and Karl Kallin; niece and nephew, Billie Jean and Richard Schrank; and special friends, Donna and Jerry Reichenberger.

Our family would like to give a very special thank-you to Dan's aides, CJ, Danielle, Angie, Melissa, Kendra, and Kenzi, for taking such wonderful care of our dad over the past few years. We are also incredibly grateful to the staff at Edenbrook Oshkosh and Bristol Hospice for the care, kindness, and support they gave Dan and our family.

Visitation will be held Friday, September 18, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Konrad-Behlman Funeral Home, Westside, 100 Lake Pointe Drive, Oshkosh, with a service to follow.

Interment will take place at Wilhelmina Cemetery in Black Wolf, Wisconsin.