George E Huhnke

The last of seven redheaded siblings to pass, George died peacefully on May 2, 2025. He is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Valerie; five children, Laura Bertram, Anne (Jim) Mauer, Gail Butterfield, Julia (John) Holtze, and Matthew (Shelley) Huhnke; and seven grandchildren, Ben, Alex, Aaron, Joanna, Ellen, Madison and Petra.

George graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served for eight years in the Navy, with active duty from 1954 to 1956. He celebrated a vibrant career first as a radio announcer on WBEV in Beaver Dam, and then on to marketing with Ken Cook Co., Jack Bundy Agency, and Allen Bradley, finally retiring after 23 years at Johnson Controls.

George brought a lot of laughter and joy into the world through music – starting at the age of 3 when he sang on WISN Radio. He had fond memories of many years with the Milwaukee Choristers, and served for 24 years well into his 80s as the emcee/soloist with the Milwaukee American Legion Band. George also sang, narrated and/or announced at countless weddings, funerals, parties and festivals throughout the Milwaukee region.

With a fast wit, George brought laughter through a database of jokes in his head, always waiting for the perfect moment to bring the right one out. His longevity comes from the philosophy that every song you sing adds a year to your life. There wasn’t a day that he didn’t sing, and he woke up every morning with a different song in his heart.

A celebration of life service for George will be held on Saturday, May 17, at Brookfield Congregational Church, 16350 Gebhardt Rd, Brookfield, WI 53005. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the service at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, George requested donations be made to the Milwaukee Choristers’ Foundation by website – milwaukeechoristers.org/donate/ or by mail to Milwaukee Choristers, PO Box 26301, Milwaukee, WI 53226.