Mike R. Gilbert

Michael “Mike” R. Gilbert, 75, of La Crosse, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026 in hospice care after a short illness. Mike was born on August 18, 1950 in Eau Claire, WI to Frank and Irene (Nauman) Gilbert.

Mike attended grade school in La Crosse and Onalaska and graduated as valedictorian from Tomah Senior High School in 1968. The principal required that Mike remove all references to the global, social, and political upheaval that characterized 1968 from his valedictory speech. Peace and social justice were very important to Mike for the rest of his life.

Mike attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN with a scholarship to study physics. Not wanting to study anything that could be later used in warfare, he switched after a year to UW-Stevens Point to study history. In 1971, he married Lois Behrens in Riverside Park in La Crosse. They shared hilarious senses of humor, a love of folk and sixties music, and a lifelong devotion to reading and learning. They spent a half century encouraging each other to become their best self. It was a thrill of Mike’s life to see Harry Belafonte perform live. Their lives were filled with poetry, trips to national parks, a love of art, and a shared concern for peace and the common good. In 1972, Mike graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social studies. He then taught history and geography and coached girls’ gymnastics at St. Vincent de Paul School in Plover, WI.

In 1977, Lois and Mike welcomed daughter Liza Ellen, and Mike found his intellectual equal. They shared a singular gift of mastering any subject they studied. Mike was so proud of the caring adult Liza became. The family of three enjoyed family vacations to western national parks. Lois loved mountains and Mike loved caves, so they had their ups and downs. Their very favorite vacation spot was Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. A lover of all things dinosaur since a young boy, Mike’s favorite museum was the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum of paleontology in Drumheller, Alberta. Mike loved science fiction novels, believing they not only showed imagination but issued warnings of what could be, and was an avid Dr. Who fan. He also enjoyed superhero comics, believing that Superman, an immigrant, was the best American superhero.

Because of disabilities Mike developed and concerns for the rights of others with disabilities, Mike went back to college at UW-Stout and graduated in 1983 with a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation. Working for the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Mike then became a counselor in Wisconsin Rapids, a field he was made for and enjoyed. Mike became district director in La Crosse, and eventually became a statewide policy analyst, advising DVR counselors and staff on disability policies and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Whether he was visiting a student hospitalized with anorexia, helping a family member with autism and PTSD, or supporting another senior citizen with mobility issues, Mike always led with empathy and kindness. He often said each of us is only temporarily abled, and followed the advice of Fred Rogers who said, “Look for the helpers.”

After retiring in 2008 due to health issues, Mike became a student of cinema and believed the best movies have happy endings and show that kids are smarter than adults. He thought a person could survive almost everything if they kept learning, and believed nothing was more important than art, music, and poetry. He listened to Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, the Beatles, Janis Joplin, songs of peace and protest right to the end. Playlists of Mike’s favorite music can be found at youtube.com/@MikeGilbertMemorial.

He is survived by his wife Lois; his daughter Liza, who inherited the ability to eat, sleep, and breathe music; as well as cherished family friend Bridgette, who was like a second daughter to Mike for the past eleven years. Much loved rescue dog Watson was able to visit Mike shortly before he passed.

He was predeceased by his mother Irene, his sister Shirley, his beloved brother Tommy, and his father Frank.

He is also survived by aunts Betty Jean Pottinger and Karen Stark, both of Sparta; uncle Virgil Nauman of Boerne, TX; brothers- and sisters-in-law Jim and Carmen Lennartson of Winona, MN, Andy and Kathie Behrens of Holmen, WI; nephews and nieces John Lennartson and Ann Lennartson Shaw of Minneapolis, MN, Ron Behrens of Brainerd, MN, and Dan and Leslie Behrens of Hinckley, MN; Sam Behrens of Holmen, WI; and numerous loved cousins.

A memorial service to honor Mike’s life will be held on Saturday, March 28 at Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services, 200 West Avenue, La Crosse, WI with visitation from 10:00 am-11:00 am and service from 11:00 am -12:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.