Terry Lee Hicks

Terry Lee Hicks (79) of La Crosse, Wisconsin, peacefully passed away at his home on January 20, 2026, after a courageous four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a fighter until the very end, defying the odds and blessing us with four extra years of memories.

Terry was born on December 2, 1946, to Elton & Helen (Malay) Hicks in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He took great pride in his Northside roots and graduated from Logan High School in 1965. Terry held many jobs in his early years such as: paperboy, pin-setter in a bowling alley, pizza delivery boy on a three-wheeled motor scooter, and his first union job at the Rubber Mills (Local 14). He was drafted into the Army where he served in the Panama Canal Zone for two years before his honorable discharge in 1968. Upon his return, he worked as a unionized meat cutter and then spent 23 years as a City of La Crosse bus driver where he was a member of ATU Local 519. He retired in 2002. Throughout these various jobs, Terry discovered a passion for the labor movement. During his lifetime, Terry was a fierce and tireless Union member, using it as a platform to champion for workers’ rights. His passion for this led him to pursue the position of President of the Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO, which he held for 16 years, longer than any other in the history of the organization. Having a way with words, Terry devoted 27 years of his life as Editor-in-Chief of the local union newspaper, The Union Herald, writing articles for it up until his death. He even published a book about the history of unions and the labor movement in La Crosse. He will most certainly be remembered for his unwavering commitment to bettering the lives of the everyday worker.

Terry’s job as an MTU bus driver led him to meet his future wife Mary, who was a bus customer; they wed in 1981 and had two children, Amy & Terry Patrick. For 44 years, Terry and Mary lived a life of uncommon devotion, rarely spending a single hour apart and finding their greatest joy simply in each other’s presence. As a devout Catholic, their marriage was an admirable testament to the sacrament. Terry’s greatest accomplishment was as a family man, and he took every opportunity he could to tell his wife, son, daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren just how much they were loved. He was loved by his family equally as much and will be profoundly missed.

Throughout his life, Terry had many talents and even more interests. He was deeply interested in genealogy and documented an extensive family history. This fascination inspired many family road trips to historical sites around the U.S. and Canada. He traded in his motorcycle and sidecar project for a working Yamaha V Star Classic motorcycle. He could be found cruising around the city, then running errands and coming home with a couple gallons of milk in the saddle bags. He shared this hobby with his daughter, and the two of them enjoyed many rides together. Also, he was an avid movie buff and would spend cherished time with his wife and son watching anything from the newest release to an old western or sci-fi film. Terry dearly loved his grandchildren, and they reciprocated that love with every hug, handmade craft, and visit. He affectionately earned the nickname “Goofy Grandpa.”

Terry was preceded in death by his father Elton, his mother Helen; his brother Donald; and several aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his wife Mary; his daughter Amy (Brendan) McGovern, his son and namesake Terry; and his five grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Henry, Isaac, Lila, and Melanie. He is also survived by loving aunts, in-laws, and his beloved cats.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 4:00-6:30pm at Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Burial will take place on a later date at Woodlawn Cemetery of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Memorial donations may be made in Terry's honor to the American Cancer Society or the Hunger Task Force of La Crosse.