Guy Engelhardt
Guy Richard Engelhardt, 69, died unexpectedly—yet peacefully—Friday, September 10, 2021, at his home in West Bend, Wisconsin.
Guy was born on December 28, 1951, in Milwaukee to John and Marjorie (Johnson) Engelhardt. His family moved to West Bend when Guy was a young child. He has been a lifelong member of the community ever since.
From the age of five, Guy was devoted to the family dairy distribution business, Engelhardt Dairy of WI. He dedicated his life to growing the company from a small door to door milk delivery operation, to a thriving distribution business—a legacy that made him unbelievably proud. He received a lot of support in growing the company over the past 50 years and he truly appreciated everyone for the part they played in that journey. If you worked at Engelhardt, Guy considered you family.
When not at work, he could be found dreaming and planning the next trip with his family or singing along to Jimmy Buffet and classic rock. Guy had a true gift for bringing happiness to all that spent time with him. He loved being surrounded by friends and family, sharing a good meal and a glass of wine. Guy always had a smile on his face, a tap in his toes, and a song in his heart.
Most of all, Guy was deeply committed to his wife and family. The accomplishment he relished most was providing them with the foundation and support to fully appreciate and experience life and travel. Guy was married for 49 years to his high school sweetheart, Sandra (Matenaer) Engelhardt. She was his absolute favorite person in the world. They shared a love of travel and had dreams of retiring in Marco Island, FL. Together they had two children: Matthew (Jessica) Engelhardt and Brooke (Justin) Happel; and four grandchildren: Miller Guy Happel, Alice Marjorie Happel, Kellan Thomas Engelhardt, and Celia Belle Engelhardt that were the pride of his life.
He is missed by many friends, both personal and professional, who he loved like family. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by his favorite sister, Susie (Alex) Kiss; his mother-in-law, Janice (Koth) Matenaer; and his sisters and brothers-in-laws that he loved as though they were his own siblings; beloved nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
Guy was preceded in death by his brother, Greg Engelhardt; his parents, John and Marjorie Engelhardt; and his father-in-law, Paul Matenaer.
A celebration of Guy’s life—to raise a glass and share a memory or a song in his honor—will be held from 3–6PM on Thursday, November 4th, 2021, at Hon-e-kor Golf Course in Kewaskum, WI.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The American Heart Association in Guy’s honor at http://www2.heart.org/goto/Guy_Engelhardt .
As Guy would say, “Never hurry; never worry.”
Sing that song; share that drink; enjoy today.
