Milton Rewey
July 12, 1924 - January 21, 2015
Obituary
Milton R. Rewey, 90, of Platteville, passed away early Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at his home with family at his side. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 24, 2015 at the United Methodist Church, Platteville. Pastor Brenda Whitford will officiate. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 23, 2015 at the Melby Funeral Home & Crematory, Platteville, or from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday at the church. There will be a celebration lunch after the service.
The family requests no flowers. Memorials may be made to the Milton Rewey Scholarship Fund, which will be distributed to deserving Platteville High School graduates. Online condolences may be made at www.melbyfh.com
Milton Robert Rewey was born in Mifflin Township, Iowa County, on July 12, 1924, the son of Milton B. and Agnes (Bellmeyer) Rewey. As a youth he grew up on Platteville area farms and attended rural grade schools. He graduated from Platteville High School in 1942, where he was an athlete and scholar. That fall he enrolled at Platteville State Teachers College. His education was interrupted from 1944 to 1946 for the Navy, where he was a sonar instructor at Chicago's Navy Pier. On September 9, 1944 he married his childhood sweetheart, Phyllis Clifton, in the Platteville Methodist Church. After the Navy he re-enrolled at PSTC and redirected his career goal from engineering to teaching and graduated in 1947. Later in 1953 he earned an MS in Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin.
Milton's education career began in Benton in 1947, where a highlight was coaching the undefeated baseball team to the first ever Wisconsin WIAA state baseball tournament in Milwaukee. He continued on to Poynette, where he built the hurdles for their first track team; Ripon; Racine; St. Francis; Waupun and then back to Platteville. He began as a coach and teacher then progressed to principal, CESA administrator and assistant superintendant. While in Ripon he was elected president of the Wisconsin Junior High School Principals Assoc. In 1968 he was a delegate to the USSR for exchanging educational ideas and in 1969 he was recognized by the Dept. of Public Instruction for his success at CESA. After retirement in 1980 he led tours throughout the world and U.S. In 1986 Milt and Phyllis moved to Englewood, Florida and then Port Charlotte before returning to their Platteville roots in 2007.
Throughout life Milt loved sports and was an excellent card player. He was active with the Methodist Church for 70 years. In Florida he was active in the Englewood Community Association and on the Charlotte County Water and Street Commission for the Englewood area. He was president of the Englewood Beach & Yacht Club timeshare board. In 1987 he worked with church members to build the Gulf Cove United Methodist Church. He served as president of his neighborhood association and later was elected to the first council of the Heritage Oak Park Community board. Upon returning to Platteville he joined the Optimist Club and was appointed to the board. He was twice on the Platteville Commission on Aging and was vice-chair of the City Hall Task Force. He was a member of Kiwanis for a total of 35 years, in four communities, and served as President in Platteville. He was involved in all of this and much more because he cared.
Those who survive know there is much more to his life story than what is written here. He touched so many lives.
Milton is survived by his four children, Michael (Pamela) of Madison; Peggy (Steven) Wedige of Englewood, FL; Patty (Thomas) Martin of Bedford, NH; and Curtis of Orlando, FL; grandchildren, Wade (Gemini English-Rewey) Rewey, Brianna (Torsie) Judkins, Nathaniel (Betty Agudelo-Rewey) Rewey, Rachel (Scott) Gunnells, Heather (Timothy) Rewey-Conway, Heidi (Brian) Pietz, Marne (John) Schroeder, Renee (fiancé Barry Vialpando) McHugh, Kyle (friend Lindsey McCorkle) Wedige, Matthew (friend Nicole Blunden) Martin and Jason Martin; and 16 great-grandchildren. He is further survived by his sister Joyce Brogley, Cuba City and special friend Eva Snider.
He joins his wife, Phyllis, who preceded him in death on July 13, 2012. He is also preceded in death by his son, Stephen, July 17, 1979, and his brother-in-law Ralph Brogley in 2012
Thank you to family, friends and students who have known and loved Milt throughout his life. His life was always devoted to people. He was blessed by many students and adults who succeeded and led rewarding lives. He cared enough to leave a better world. May God bless you, Milt, Bud, friend, coach, teacher, mentor, husband, dad, grandfather, great-grandfather…