George Degen

George D. Degen, 92, of Plymouth, passed away Saturday, June 1, 2019 at the Sharon S.
Richardson Community Hospice after a short illness. He was born in Sheboygan on April 17,
1927, a son of the late Delmar and Hilma (Markwardt) Degen. George attended Sheboygan
public schools and graduated from Central High School.
George proudly served his country in World War II by joining the U.S. Navy on November 18,
1944. He served as a hospital corpsman until July 1946 and was recalled to active duty in 1950
during the Korean Conflict. He received the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon for his work with
personnel who transformed a small dispensary in Japan into a full-fledged hospital that treated
5804 casualties in 42 days.
Upon his return to Sheboygan County, George attended Mission House College (Lakeland
University) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1953. He met his future wife,
Rita Koch, that same year and the two were married on June 28, 1953.
George joined the Kohler Company in July 1963 as an Inspector in Precision Controls. In
February 1970, he was appointed Manager of Field Claims and later promoted to Manager-
Quality Control for Plumbing Products, a position he held until his retirement in 1990.
Active in community service, George was a member of the Ladewig-Zinkgraf American Legion
Post 243 where he served as Post Commander and member of the Honor Guard. He was past
President of the Plymouth Lions Club and recipient of the Melvin Jones Award and a life
membership. Additionally, George belonged to the Kohler Quarter Century Club, the Plymouth
Historical Society, Plymouth Arts Center and was a faithful member of St. John Lutheran Church
in Plymouth.
Surviving George is his wife Rita; their four children, Debra (Mark) Zimmer of Howards Grove,
WI, Thomas (Meredith) Degen of Madison, WI, Ronald (Christopher) Degen of Chicago, IL, and
Patricia (Andrew) Mahoney of Evansville, WI.; five grandchildren, George, Thekla, Eleanor and
Henry Degen, and Julia Mahoney; one brother, Richard (Matt) of Sheboygan and Arizona.
George was preceded in death by his parents, mother and father-in-law, Karl (Auguste) Koch,
sister and brother-in-law, Virginia (Reverend Lowell) Ferguson, sister-in-law, Laverne Degen,
and brother-in-law and wife, Carl Koch (Marjorie).
A funeral service will be conducted for George on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. Relatives
and friends may call on the family at Zimmer Westview Funeral & Cremation Care Center,
W2132 Garton Road, Sheboygan from 3:00 p.m. until the time of the service. The Reverend
Thomas Fleischmann will officiate. Full military honors will be conducted by the Ladewig-
Zinkgraf American Legion Post 243 following the service and a private committal will be held
Saturday at the Wildwood Cemetery in Sheboygan.
The Degen family wishes to thank the entire staff of the Sharon S. Richardson Community
Hospice for the wonderful care George received during his brief stay. A memorial fund has been
established for the hospice in the name of George D. Degen.
Please visit www.zimmerfuneralhome.com for online condolences.