Alvin C. Theiler

Alvin Carl Theiler Al "Doc" Theiler passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 27th at the Chilton Care Center where he resided the past couple of months. Doc was known by many as their doctor in Kiel where he practiced for 40 years and delivered more than 1,100 babies during that time. Doc had a big personality and was known for his quick humor and wit. He loved all the people in his life, his family, his friends, his patients. He had a great life! Doc was born May 29, 1918 to William and Margaret (Winker) Theiler at the family farm just east of Tomahawk, WI in the area known as Lily Lake. Al lived at the farm and when the Theiler Resort was built when he was 7 or 8 years old, he spent summers at the resort and worked as a fishing guide and even tended bar serving the beer and whiskey that was made there during Prohibition. Al went to high school in Tomahawk and in the evenings and weekends he tended bar and cooked at his father's bar, the Fish Pole in downtown Tomahawk. Directly out of high school, with no money, he moved to Madison to go to school. After flunking out of college in the first year, he hitchhiked and hopped freight trains across the country to California. After a year or so traveling and living in California, Al once again hitchhiked and hopped freight trains back to Wisconsin. He returned to school at UW-Madison enrolled in the pre-med program. He paid for school and living expenses working three jobs -- landscaping, cleaning at a movie theater, and tending bar. He graduated with a BA from UW-Madison in 1941 then went to medical school at Marquette University in Milwaukee and continued to tend bar to pay his way. He met and married Bette Papineau during college and had two daughters, Jackie and Judy; their marriage ended in divorce. Al graduated from Marquette in 1945 with his medical degree. During his last year in medical school he interned at the old St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee where he met and fell in love with Alice, a surgical nurse, and they married in 1946. Following medical school Al went into the Army for two years going in as a 1st Lieutenant and worked as a doctor all around Korea. Alice lived and worked in California while Al was serving in Korea. After two years in Korea and being discharged as a Captain, Al returned to Alice and their son, Barry, who was born while Al was in Korea. They moved to Milwaukee where Al worked at the Veteran's Hospital for one year. While there, their second son, Rick, was born. The family then moved to Princeton, WI, where Al worked in private practice. They lived there for five years, and were blessed with two more sons, Randy and Brad. They moved to Kiel in 1954 to set-up private practice. Al and Alice made Kiel their home with their four sons, and were blessed with four more sons, Brian, Rodd, Mark and Tony. Doc's office was in Kiel and he worked out of St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, and later Chilton Hospital when it opened. During his career, it was not unusual for Doc to make house calls or have patients stop by his home for medical needs. Doc often said he had the perfect life, his home, office, bowling alley and church all right there (and he loved the church bells). Doc served as Chief Medical Director several times at Chilton Hospital during his career and retired in 1993 at age 75. Doc loved to golf and was a pretty good bowler in his time. He was a regular on the Monday night men's golf league at Quit Qui Oc for many years and golfed Thursday afternoons with his buddies. He loved his community and cheerfully volunteered his time. He earned the Silver Beaver Award for many years of service to the Boy Scouts and was also a member of the Kiel Kiwanis for 50+ years with perfect attendance. Doc and Alice had a vacation home in Rio Verde, AZ where they loved to be each winter and spring spending time with their many friends. In his later years, Doc liked to refer to himself as "Angel Al" - a name the nuns at Ss. Peter & Paul gave him when he would volunteer at the church painting and helping out. Doc's halo would slip at times … but he always recovered with some witty remark and that great smile. He was generous with his friendship and his time, and legend has it that he even tipped a bar tender once. Doc is survived by his children, daughters Jackie (Jack)Grauberger and Judy Theiler (Joe Cojean), sons, Barry (Sheila), Rick (Dale), Randy (Vicki), Brian (Martha), Rodd (Julie), Mark (Victoria), Anthony (Machiko), and grandchildren, Michael (Carly), Alex, Smith, Brant, Alexandra, Olivia, Isabella, and Sebastian, Grace and Julie, great grandchildren Erika, Ryan, Mia and Joseph, sisters Lila (George) Hudson, Norma (Joe) Belliveau, and brother, Jerry (Jan) Theiler, many other family members. Al was preceded in death by his wife Alice (Boll) Theiler, and son Brad, parents William and Margaret, and siblings Edwin (Top), Billy, Rollie, Lena and Carol. The family would like to thank the care givers at the Chilton Care Center, especially Vicki, for the care provided to Al over the past few months. Doc had a great life, he was truly one of a kind ... he touched so many with his care, compassion, and his spirit of fun and adventure and humor. The world is a better place because of him and we are thankful to have been a part of his life. Funeral Mass for Doc will be held at 4:00pm on Friday October 3, 2014 at SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church (413 Fremont St. Kiel). Family and friends may call at the church on Friday from 2:00pm until the time of services. A second service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday October 4, 2014 at Krueger Family Funeral Home (101 North Second St. Tomahawk). Family and friends may call at the funeral home in Tomahawk on Saturday from 12:00 noon until the time of service. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery