Dear Colleagues,

I am sharing sad news of the passing of three members of our UWM community, from colleagues in Finance and Administrative Affairs and the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare.

Kevin Cantrell
Kevin Cantrell, Lead Painter in Facility Services Paint shop, passed away on January 2, 2021. As a proud painter for Facility Services, Kevin had forged many good relationships with colleagues across campus while scheduling and organizing painting projects. Kevin was always professional and will be remembered for his sense of humor and helpful demeanor, giving advice not only to coworkers but with new painters learning the trade.

Kevin had many interests outside of painting including working on cars, cooking, and camping with friends and family. Kevin is survived by his wife Kristen and son Keith. Kevin made a strong impact on many of us in Facility Services and will be missed by many. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Kevin Cantrell. Information about the services, memorial fund, and sending messages to the family can be found here:

https://www.draeger-langendorf.com/obituaries/kevin-m-cantrell/.

Adrienne (Alex) Haeuser
Adrienne (Alex) Ahlgren Haeuser, Professor Emerita of Social Work in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, passed away on January 1, 2021. Alex graduated from Wellesley College and obtained an MS degree from Simmons College’s School of Social Work. She began teaching in 1971 and rose from being a part-time instructor at the University of Wisconsin Extension Department of Social Work to a full professor at UW-Milwaukee, a position she held from 1985 to 1996. Alex retired from UWM as a professor emerita in 1996.

Alex was awarded many honors for her work, and in connection with her strong advocacy against child abuse and neglect, she obtained many grants, founded programs, chaired committees, gave national and international presentations, and authored numerous publications. She will be fondly remembered for her courageous work on civil rights in Milwaukee during the tumultuous 1960’s, her achievements in bringing grant funding and recognition to UWM, and her international success in raising awareness about child abuse. For additional information, please see Alex’s obituary online. Our condolences to Alex’s family and to the many others whose lives she touched.

Gerald Waites
Gerald Waites, an Environmental Services Custodian/Building Service Worker, passed away in late December after a brief illness. Gerald worked in Bolton Hall, providing cleaning services to the 6th and 8th floors. He was a selfless person and always had a smile on his face.

Gerald was a foster parent and was in the process of adopting at the time of his passing. In addition, Gerald loved his beagles, Fall in Wisconsin and finding great deals and sales. He was well liked by those in his building and his colleagues in Environmental Services and will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences go to Gerald’s family and friends.

Take care,

Johannes

Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs