November 14, 1958 – May 14, 2025
Timothy Donald Herlache, 66, of Sturgeon Bay, passed away on May 14, 2025, at home surrounded by family, after a bravely-fought battle with cancer. Tim was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, and will be missed dearly.
Tim was born on November 14, 1958, in Sturgeon Bay, to Donald and Audrey Herlache, the third of six children. Tim began his schooling at East Maplewood School in Southern Door, before the family moved to Sturgeon Bay. There, he attended Corpus Christi grade school, and then graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1977. He attended NWTC the following year, where he earned a degree in small engine and chassis repair.
While in high school, Tim met his future wife, Holly Ullman, and they were married in 1982. Although their marriage ended, they remained friends and great parents to their two children, Dustin and Jessica.
Throughout his high school years, Tim helped his father Don by commercially fishing on the ice in the waters of Green Bay. Tim also worked at his father’s shop, Herlache Small Engine. Tim loved the work at the shop, but after taking a new part-time job, realized he had found another passion: firefighting.
Tim’s professional career at the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department began in 1979. He climbed the ranks and would later attend the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and went on to become Fire Chief in 2003. Tim loved his career in firefighting. While deeply dedicated to the professional aspects of his job and keeping his crews safe, Tim also took great joy in investing in the youth of Sturgeon Bay through various outreach programs. There was always a smile on his face when kids (especially his own) would visit the fire station, or get to climb on the fire trucks, or get to hear the firemen do a presentation at their school. He was also heavily involved in guiding the new city building and fire headquarters when it was constructed in downtown Sturgeon Bay. Tim retired in 2016 after 37 years of service. After “retirement” Tim refused to slow down, working at Ace Hardware in Sturgeon Bay, which he thoroughly enjoyed, as well as various other odd jobs.
Then Tim met a beautiful woman named Dawn Thiry. Right from the start, it was clear that they complimented each other perfectly, and thus their love story began. They were married on July 22, 2022, and together they enjoyed spending time outdoors, socializing, traveling, and visiting each other’s families.
Anyone who knew Tim would tell you that if you needed anything, he really would give you the shirt off his back. If anyone ever had a question, he was the man to call. Tim’s hobbies were helping others, deer hunting, fishing, camping, and spending time with friends and family. His absolute favorite time of year was the Wisconsin gun deer season, but any time he could be out holding a fishing pole was a close second. He did it all: ice fishing, fishing in Canada, fishing locally for perch, walleyes, or whitefish, and in recent years, fishing with his grandkids at “The 60.”
Another notable mention would be Tim’s lifelong love for the property left to him and his siblings by his parents, “The 60” in the town of Gardner (Southern Door). Tim devoted much of his life to bettering the property by planting trees, managing the forest, and even improving a pond and stocking it with fish. Tim loved to hunt and camp here, and he truly made it a great place where family and friends could hunt, fish, camp, ride ATV’s, and even dig for “treasure” from days gone by. The property would not be what it is today without his efforts.
Tim will be dearly missed by his wife, Dawn; his children, Dustin (Lauren) of Luxemburg, WI, and Jessica (Tim) Kenney of Pulaski, WI; nine grandchildren, Evelyn, Liam, Theodore, Finnian, Charlotte, and Declan Herlache; Kallah, Harper, and Timmy Kenney; his mother, Audrey; his siblings Daniel (Susan) Herlache, Bill (Vikki) Herlache, Bonnie (Daniel) Bauer, and Dave (Carrie) Herlache; many other nieces, nephews, and friends.
Tim was preceded in death by his father, Donald, and an older sister, Faye.
A funeral service will be held at the Forbes Funeral Home on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 8:00 pm. A visitation is scheduled from 3:30 that day until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Door CAN Inc. or the Sturgeon Bay Fire and Police Honor Guard.
A special thanks to Dr. Hogan, Dr. Jaz, and the team at Froedert, who gave us all the gift of extra time with Tim. We are so grateful to the whole team at Unity Hospice, especially Katie and Laura, for taking such good care of Tim at the end of his life.