Daniel Mark Bice died on April 21, 2026, at Froedtert Hospital due to complications from esophageal cancer.
Danny, as he was known growing up, had an insatiable appetite for knowledge. He was rarely observed without a book or three in arm. After graduating from St. Albans High School, he attended Bryan College in Tennessee, majoring in English, History, and Ancient Greek. During his time at Bryan, he edited the school newspaper, The Triangle, and first felt the thrill of breaking news and challenging authority. He began his reporting career at the St Petersburg Times before returning to West Virginia, where he covered state politics. He matriculated to the University of Chicago and, upon completion of a master’s in social science, accepted a job in the Milwaukee Sentinel’s Madison Bureau. Thus began his three-decade reign of terror speaking truth to power in Wisconsin state politics. He was the recipient of several Headliner Awards for his column with Cary Spivak, “Spivak & Bice,” and for his solo efforts under the “No Quarter” byline. More than the awards, he was always proud to receive derision that spanned party lines. He would gleefully explain to his children that the surest indicator of impact and impartiality was ire that crossed the aisle.
In his private life, Dan brought that same intellectual curiosity and single-minded focus to everything he did. When his children, Zachary, Sophie, and Raney, all showed interest in soccer, he threw himself into learning everything he could about the sport. Every summer vacation—from Chautauqua to Provence—was planned meticulously with ample opportunities for learning about science, history, art, religion, or (more often the case) all of the above.
He was also heavily involved in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, teaching adult education courses on a variety of topics from Biblical Literature to Archaeology. In that capacity, he led a number of trips around the globe to visit historic sites. He also had a deep and abiding passion for music. On any given Friday night, you were most likely to find him at The Riverside Theater chatting about the merits of the new Beck album.
Daniel Mark Bice was born on April 21, 1964, in Charleston, West Virginia. He died on April 21, 2026, at age 62. He is survived by his wife Jessica Hodgson; his father David (Alice) Bice; his siblings Cheryl, Penny, Jeffrey (Roberta), and Richard (Sandra); and his three children, Zachary (Alex), Sophie (Ben Teich), and Raney. He was preceded in death by his mother, Patty Adkins.
Dan lived an impactful life. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the larger community he sought to serve with his investigative journalism. We would like to extend our gratitude to the ICU team at Froedtert Hospital for their compassionate care.
Services will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church located at 1615 N. Wauwatosa Ave, Wauwatosa, WI. Visitation is from 10am–12pm, and the memorial service is at 12 pm with a luncheon to follow.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following organizations. For those interested in contributing to the ongoing mission of journalism, please make a memorial contribution in Dan’s name to the nonprofit Milwaukee Press Club Endowment, which has the mission of promoting the advancement of journalism excellence; the American Cancer Society; or St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
