Goeltz, Earl Richard (Dick, Gabber, Duker, Friend) Went into the arms of the lord on June 22, 2026, at the age of 91.

Loving husband of Gloria (nee Zingshiem) for 64 years. Proud dad of Tom (Wendy) Goeltz and Mike (Jilly Lund) Goeltz. Grandpa of Melissa (Cameron) Loomis and Gavin (Katy) Goeltz. Great Grandpa of Paisley, Brooks, Maegan, and Beau. Brother of Louis Goeltz and Cindy Palmer.

Further survived by other family and friends.

Earl is preceded in death by his many siblings, granddaughter Megan and her unborn baby.

Earl was born in Ashland, WI into a large family which farmed and owned the Goeltz Hotel and Bright Spot in Ashland. As a child, he had long curly hair and we still have some of those original locks. He played football in high school and has many friends and family in Northern Wisconsin. He was known to be quite the talker in high school and earned the nickname Gabber from his old buddies. His dad also was named Earl, so the family called him Dick due to his middle name of Richard. All of these names did cause some confusion over the years.

He was an avid fisherman going for Northerns, Bass and Pan fish on his home base of Diamond Lake or his favorite pan fishing hole – Lake Ree. He hunted his entire life for deer, ducks and partridge (ruffled grouse) in Bayfield County and was very successful. He loved to hunt with his high school buddy Walt on an island in Lake Namakagon. Deer hunting at the Cabin was an annual tradition with the likes of Chuck, Bob Ray, Tracker Bill and Ol’ Larry. He taught his sons and grandkids how to fish and hunt, which we still carry on that tradition.

After high school, Earl joined the Navy aboard the Destroyer USS Walker 517 and was a combat veteran during the Korean War. He was stationed on Pearl Harbor and always wanted to get back to Pearl after his time in the military, to pay his respects to his fellow Navy buddies forever there.

After the Navy, Earl moved to the Milwaukee area to work at American Motors Corporation (AMC) in the sheet metal department. One night while out at a dance club, he met the love of his life Gloria “love at first sight”. They married and raised a family initially in Wauwatosa, WI, eventually moving to Germantown, WI in 1976.

Earl went to school at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and became a Metallurgical Engineer for Jones & Laughlin Steel and eventually retiring from LTV Steel Company serving the upper Midwest territory.

After his boys grew up and moved out of the house, Earl loved to do landscaping work around the house and go for long walks around the subdivision. During these walks, he made many friends and families along the way, including and especially their dogs. He would often have his “snicks” in his pockets and eventually in his mailbox and all the dog walkers knew where they were since the dogs would sniff them out and pay a visit to Earl sitting in his garage. He was always happy to make a new friend – human or otherwise.

A Service will take place on Monday, August 3, 2026 at Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery (N4063 Veterans Way Spooner, WI 54801) starting at12:00pm.