KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. ─ Kerkman, who represented the Wheatland area on the County Board from 1968 until his retirement in 1992, was honored with a moment of silence at the start of Tuesday’s board meeting.
Current Supervisor Erin Decker, who today represents much of Kerkman’s former district, offered a tribute on the board floor, lauding Kerkman as a dedicated public servant, loving family man, and community leader.
“Stanley’s passing on Dec. 30, 2025, leaves a lasting void, but his legacy will live on in the many lives he touched — through his work on the County Board, his family, and his service to others,” Decker said. “Our thoughts are with the entire Kerkman family during this time.”
Kerkman served as the board chairman during the 1982-’84 term and was the longtime chairman of the board’s Land Use Committee.
Former Supervisor Bob Pitts, who served with Kerkman for several years, remembered Kerkman as a smart, kind, highly respected member of the board.
“He was a wonderful, wonderful gentleman, and he cared for the people of Kenosha County,” Pitts said. “He was just a good person.”
Kerkman was a native of Wheatland and spent his entire life in the area, where he joined his brothers in running Kerkman Brothers Construction.
He and his wife, Dorothy, were married for 70 years at the time of her death in 2020. They are survived by their four children and many grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“Stan was a great human being,” said former County Executive John Collins. “He and Dorothy were the salt of the earth. We had many wonderful evenings spent with them at Butler’s in Slades Corners, with Stan often entertaining the crowd.”
On the County Board, Kerkman’s term as chairman coincided with Kenosha County’s conversion to a county executive form of government, which had been decided prior to Kerkman’s chairmanship. As chairman of the Land Use Committee for 16 years, Kerkman was instrumental in the development of a countywide zoning ordinance.
“He did a great job,” Pitts said. “He was very well respected.”
Mark Wisnefski, who served on the County Board with Kerkman for many years, praised Kerkman for his ability to sit down and work out compromises on thorny issues, all the while remaining well-liked by his colleagues.
“It was a blessing to work with him and get his viewpoint, because it was always a good one,” Wisnefski said, adding, “He had all of the qualities of a nice person.”
Pitts noted Kerkman was also a great entertainer, playing the guitar and singing for residents at the county’s Brookside Care Center and other nursing homes in the area.
County Executive Samantha Kerkman said she knew Stanley Kerkman for many years — not as a County Board supervisor, but rather as a member of her St. Alphonsus Catholic Church community, and as a small business owner in the area.
“He was a strong leader for western Kenosha County during his time on the County Board,” said the county executive, who was not related to Stanley Kerkman. “He lived a well-lived life, full of family, faith, kindness and generosity.”
Funeral services were held Wednesday at St. Alphonsus Church in New Munster. The Kerkman family suggests donations in his memory be made to the church.
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