David Hestad
1954-08-01 2024-03-27
Dave's obituary was published on March 30, 2025 here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/madison/name/david-hestad-obituary?id=58017804
The following is an informal tribute to Dave: David J. Hestad, age 69, passed away from pancreatic cancer on March 27, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was born August 1, 1954, in Madison, Wisconsin to Erling and Helene (Livingston) Hestad. As a young boy, he spent a couple years living in Evanston, IL and then his family moved to La Crosse, WI. In 2022, he wrote: “I like La Crosse for the beauty and setting. You can explore the river or the bluffs. The whole river there is part of a wildlife refuge. Most of the town itself is flat for biking around, there are some interesting old homes on Cass Street. The downtown has a nice feel to it. Also, Dave’s Guitar shop is a trip—ask to see the collection upstairs. “
He was a talented musician and recalled his earliest collaboration: “In La Crosse I was in a ‘band,’ playing a Magnus, air-powered keyboard. Also took a few guitar lessons. But I was kicked out because my mother refused to let me play an afternoon gig arranged by the stage mother of the guitar player at a college beer bar.”
Dave’s family moved to Madison when he was a teenager: “I arrived in Madison from La Crosse Aug 1, 1969 (my birthday). Walked into West High knowing 1 person (a neighbor from Les Chateaux Apts.) It took quite a while to make some friends starting with George Benish and his swim team buddies.”
Dave dove into creative pursuits. He wrote articles, and drew cartoons, for the Hard Times. An able athlete, he was active in pickup basketball and hockey. He continued to play hockey on Madison’s frozen lakes and lagoons into his sixties.
He made music with the “Availables” (Petter Naess, Pete Joseff, Dave Ewanowski and Paul Hendrix). They were talented innovators, misunderstood because they were so far ahead of their time! For example, Dave and Tim Athan employed a typewriter, and a saw rhythmically cutting wood, for the percussion track of a recording. “Genius” is an overused term, but…
After graduating in 1972 from West High School he went on to get his BS in 1976 and MS in 1980 in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. David’s skill as a journalist was evident while he was still a student, as a film that he and Professor Fritz Albert produced entitled "Wisconsin Cheese for All Seasons," won first place in and International Awards competition with 1,100 productions entered by 17 nations. Albert credited much of the film's success to Hestad's tight editing, which kept the film moving through detailed scenes of cheesemaking. https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-hestad-grad-stud/150351645/
Dave spent nearly all his adult life in good old Madison. The only lacuna was the time he spent in Minneapolis in the fall of 1976. He shared the second floor of a house with Regent Tim Athan and 3 others. The entire group was fresh out of college and struggling to gain footing on an occupational ladder. Dave and Tim resorted to temp work. Dave’s reserved personality undermined his assignment as a store Santa. He was fired on the first day, “They said I wasn’t jolly enough!”
Dave had a reserve; he wasn’t eager to talk about himself. Exaggerating a bit for humorous effect, it was as if a close friend would say “Dave, what’s this I read in today’s newspaper about you being elected to the U.S. Senate?!” “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to mention that I was running. Should be interesting.”
Dave’s wit was very dry. He was the master of the Jack Benny – like understated response. When he witnessed any odd event, he would simply state “Now I’ve seen everything.”
Dave enjoyed a large social circle in Madison. Here’s Tim Athan’s diary entry from Saturday, June 7, 1980, to provide a glimpse of Madison in the summertime when Dave was 25:
• "Dave Hestad, Jennifer Voichick and I drove to Ferris Bluff in Dave’s wonderful 1961 Valiant. A very nice day and the 3 of us made excellent company, having a grand chat at the top of the bluff. The swimming was challenging and a lot of fun…
• "Tonight Gary Geisler and the Midtown Rockers played at Merlins on State Street. They played very well...
• "I met Dave there. Many other old cronies were there — Stacey Poole, Muck, Jim Bible, Mike Buffo, Mark Schroeder, Nancy Reppen and others. Very nice, though both Dave and I were a bit tired from our afternoon in the river.
The Plaza bar was often a pivot point for social evenings downtown in those years. Dave recalled:
• “It was one of those places where a bunch of people we knew would go. They had a jukebox, and one of the favorites was “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette.
• “It had very cheap beer on tap, booths and pool tables. Their specialty was the Plazaburger. I think you could buy a sixpack to go at bar time. I remember at bar time, people would spill out into the street in front, and just hang out for a while.
• “My nieces and nephews asked me once whether there were cell phones when I grew up. When I said no, they asked very wide-eyed how did I meet up with friends--something they clearly felt would be impossible. “I told them that we would use the telephone and make some plans, or just go show up somewhere (like the Plaza), where we knew that people we knew would be.”
Dave hosted many great, relaxed parties. In 2023 he recalled:
• “We definitely had a New Years party at 309 East Mifflin (not there anymore), when Bill Harris, Jim Dott and I decided to clean out the kind of medieval basement for dancing. Great party.
• “And also, several on Jenifer Street (how many? can’t remember), where the infamous tie-cutting happened (some drunk dude didn’t like the fact that Bill was wearing a tie, and took a kitchen knife and cut it off).
He met and married Vicky Padway and together they have 2 children: Mitchell and Anna.
Dave spent most of his career working at Wisconsin Public Television (now called PBS Wisconsin). A producer, editor, and writer, he was perhaps best known for Wisconsin Hometown Stories and Shipwrecks (2021). Dave produced 11-hour documentaries for the Hometown Stories series since the inception of the program in (2003).
Here are links to some of his work:
https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/wisconsin-hometown-stories/
(Dave’s created these programs for the series: Door County; Oshkosh; La Crosse; Juneau County; Eau Claire; Sauk Prairie; Wausau; Janesville; Manitowoc-Two Rivers; Neenah-Menasha; Old World WI; Portage Memories)
Shipwrecks (2021)
https://pbswisconsin.org/shipwrecks/
World War II Stories – Part 2: Home Front
https://www.pbs.org/video/wisconsin-war-stories-wisconsin-world-war-ii-stories-part-2-home-front/
Dave’s created this program in 1995, early in the sustainable agriculture movement:
https://www.pbs.org/video/wpt-documentaries-covering-new-ground-wisconsins-sustainable-agriculture/
Much of his work is archived here: https://search.library.wisc.edu/search/system/author?q=%22Hestad%2C+David%22
When confronted with a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis in January 2022, Dave and Vicky energetically fought the illness incorporating alternative treatments alongside traditional chemo. In November 2022, he wrote Tim Athen:
• “I’ve had a molecular test that reveals specific mutations, and have been told that mine are complicated, with I think 4. It’s much easier for some kind of future treatment if it’s just 1, and the 1 that a study is targeting. Right now my oncologist is sticking with the plan because I’m responding very well.
• “I think there aren’t a lot of options out there at the moment, but there’s a lot of research going on, and several are possible in the near future. So, the plan is to keep me going until one of these possibilities becomes a trial or a treatment. I’m writing this from a hyperbaric chamber.”
Dave realized more than two years of active living post diagnosis. Trips to AZ and MN to visit his kids was a top priority. 18 days before his death he attended his daughter’s wedding, walked her down the aisle and danced with her to the Beatles song: “In My Life.”
Dave was asked if he had a theory about why he contracted pancreatic cancer. His response: “Don’t really have great theories about how it started, but it’s really a failure of the immune system that usually starts at an older age. I’ve got adenocarcinoma. My doctor told me it probably took 8 years to develop. Could be stress-related. I’ve been exposed to a lot of electro-magnetic fields in editing rooms, and who knows what else. We grew up in a very industry-positive society, and I remember the joy of riding my bike behind the DDT fogging truck in La Crosse.”
David was preceded in death by his father Erling and mother Helene (Livingston) Byrns. He is survived by his wife, Vicky, children Mitchell (Madison Brandt) and Anna (Andrew Turnacliff), brother John Hestad, sister Sally (Roger Backes), and many nieces, nephews, and stepfamily members.
An internment and memorial honoring the life of David was held on Saturday, 3/30/2024 at The Natural Path Sanctuary which lies within The Farley Center.
Donations in Dave’s Memory to these organizations are appreciated:
PanCan Action Network: https://pancan.org/
Dane County Parks Foundation: https://www.foundationfordanecountyparks.org/
PBS Wisconsin / History Programs: https://pbswisconsin.org/donate/
The following is an informal tribute to Dave: David J. Hestad, age 69, passed away from pancreatic cancer on March 27, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was born August 1, 1954, in Madison, Wisconsin to Erling and Helene (Livingston) Hestad. As a young boy, he spent a couple years living in Evanston, IL and then his family moved to La Crosse, WI. In 2022, he wrote: “I like La Crosse for the beauty and setting. You can explore the river or the bluffs. The whole river there is part of a wildlife refuge. Most of the town itself is flat for biking around, there are some interesting old homes on Cass Street. The downtown has a nice feel to it. Also, Dave’s Guitar shop is a trip—ask to see the collection upstairs. “
He was a talented musician and recalled his earliest collaboration: “In La Crosse I was in a ‘band,’ playing a Magnus, air-powered keyboard. Also took a few guitar lessons. But I was kicked out because my mother refused to let me play an afternoon gig arranged by the stage mother of the guitar player at a college beer bar.”
Dave’s family moved to Madison when he was a teenager: “I arrived in Madison from La Crosse Aug 1, 1969 (my birthday). Walked into West High knowing 1 person (a neighbor from Les Chateaux Apts.) It took quite a while to make some friends starting with George Benish and his swim team buddies.”
Dave dove into creative pursuits. He wrote articles, and drew cartoons, for the Hard Times. An able athlete, he was active in pickup basketball and hockey. He continued to play hockey on Madison’s frozen lakes and lagoons into his sixties.
He made music with the “Availables” (Petter Naess, Pete Joseff, Dave Ewanowski and Paul Hendrix). They were talented innovators, misunderstood because they were so far ahead of their time! For example, Dave and Tim Athan employed a typewriter, and a saw rhythmically cutting wood, for the percussion track of a recording. “Genius” is an overused term, but…
After graduating in 1972 from West High School he went on to get his BS in 1976 and MS in 1980 in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. David’s skill as a journalist was evident while he was still a student, as a film that he and Professor Fritz Albert produced entitled "Wisconsin Cheese for All Seasons," won first place in and International Awards competition with 1,100 productions entered by 17 nations. Albert credited much of the film's success to Hestad's tight editing, which kept the film moving through detailed scenes of cheesemaking. https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-hestad-grad-stud/150351645/
Dave spent nearly all his adult life in good old Madison. The only lacuna was the time he spent in Minneapolis in the fall of 1976. He shared the second floor of a house with Regent Tim Athan and 3 others. The entire group was fresh out of college and struggling to gain footing on an occupational ladder. Dave and Tim resorted to temp work. Dave’s reserved personality undermined his assignment as a store Santa. He was fired on the first day, “They said I wasn’t jolly enough!”
Dave had a reserve; he wasn’t eager to talk about himself. Exaggerating a bit for humorous effect, it was as if a close friend would say “Dave, what’s this I read in today’s newspaper about you being elected to the U.S. Senate?!” “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to mention that I was running. Should be interesting.”
Dave’s wit was very dry. He was the master of the Jack Benny – like understated response. When he witnessed any odd event, he would simply state “Now I’ve seen everything.”
Dave enjoyed a large social circle in Madison. Here’s Tim Athan’s diary entry from Saturday, June 7, 1980, to provide a glimpse of Madison in the summertime when Dave was 25:
• "Dave Hestad, Jennifer Voichick and I drove to Ferris Bluff in Dave’s wonderful 1961 Valiant. A very nice day and the 3 of us made excellent company, having a grand chat at the top of the bluff. The swimming was challenging and a lot of fun…
• "Tonight Gary Geisler and the Midtown Rockers played at Merlins on State Street. They played very well...
• "I met Dave there. Many other old cronies were there — Stacey Poole, Muck, Jim Bible, Mike Buffo, Mark Schroeder, Nancy Reppen and others. Very nice, though both Dave and I were a bit tired from our afternoon in the river.
The Plaza bar was often a pivot point for social evenings downtown in those years. Dave recalled:
• “It was one of those places where a bunch of people we knew would go. They had a jukebox, and one of the favorites was “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette.
• “It had very cheap beer on tap, booths and pool tables. Their specialty was the Plazaburger. I think you could buy a sixpack to go at bar time. I remember at bar time, people would spill out into the street in front, and just hang out for a while.
• “My nieces and nephews asked me once whether there were cell phones when I grew up. When I said no, they asked very wide-eyed how did I meet up with friends--something they clearly felt would be impossible. “I told them that we would use the telephone and make some plans, or just go show up somewhere (like the Plaza), where we knew that people we knew would be.”
Dave hosted many great, relaxed parties. In 2023 he recalled:
• “We definitely had a New Years party at 309 East Mifflin (not there anymore), when Bill Harris, Jim Dott and I decided to clean out the kind of medieval basement for dancing. Great party.
• “And also, several on Jenifer Street (how many? can’t remember), where the infamous tie-cutting happened (some drunk dude didn’t like the fact that Bill was wearing a tie, and took a kitchen knife and cut it off).
He met and married Vicky Padway and together they have 2 children: Mitchell and Anna.
Dave spent most of his career working at Wisconsin Public Television (now called PBS Wisconsin). A producer, editor, and writer, he was perhaps best known for Wisconsin Hometown Stories and Shipwrecks (2021). Dave produced 11-hour documentaries for the Hometown Stories series since the inception of the program in (2003).
Here are links to some of his work:
https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/wisconsin-hometown-stories/
(Dave’s created these programs for the series: Door County; Oshkosh; La Crosse; Juneau County; Eau Claire; Sauk Prairie; Wausau; Janesville; Manitowoc-Two Rivers; Neenah-Menasha; Old World WI; Portage Memories)
Shipwrecks (2021)
https://pbswisconsin.org/shipwrecks/
World War II Stories – Part 2: Home Front
https://www.pbs.org/video/wisconsin-war-stories-wisconsin-world-war-ii-stories-part-2-home-front/
Dave’s created this program in 1995, early in the sustainable agriculture movement:
https://www.pbs.org/video/wpt-documentaries-covering-new-ground-wisconsins-sustainable-agriculture/
Much of his work is archived here: https://search.library.wisc.edu/search/system/author?q=%22Hestad%2C+David%22
When confronted with a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis in January 2022, Dave and Vicky energetically fought the illness incorporating alternative treatments alongside traditional chemo. In November 2022, he wrote Tim Athen:
• “I’ve had a molecular test that reveals specific mutations, and have been told that mine are complicated, with I think 4. It’s much easier for some kind of future treatment if it’s just 1, and the 1 that a study is targeting. Right now my oncologist is sticking with the plan because I’m responding very well.
• “I think there aren’t a lot of options out there at the moment, but there’s a lot of research going on, and several are possible in the near future. So, the plan is to keep me going until one of these possibilities becomes a trial or a treatment. I’m writing this from a hyperbaric chamber.”
Dave realized more than two years of active living post diagnosis. Trips to AZ and MN to visit his kids was a top priority. 18 days before his death he attended his daughter’s wedding, walked her down the aisle and danced with her to the Beatles song: “In My Life.”
Dave was asked if he had a theory about why he contracted pancreatic cancer. His response: “Don’t really have great theories about how it started, but it’s really a failure of the immune system that usually starts at an older age. I’ve got adenocarcinoma. My doctor told me it probably took 8 years to develop. Could be stress-related. I’ve been exposed to a lot of electro-magnetic fields in editing rooms, and who knows what else. We grew up in a very industry-positive society, and I remember the joy of riding my bike behind the DDT fogging truck in La Crosse.”
David was preceded in death by his father Erling and mother Helene (Livingston) Byrns. He is survived by his wife, Vicky, children Mitchell (Madison Brandt) and Anna (Andrew Turnacliff), brother John Hestad, sister Sally (Roger Backes), and many nieces, nephews, and stepfamily members.
An internment and memorial honoring the life of David was held on Saturday, 3/30/2024 at The Natural Path Sanctuary which lies within The Farley Center.
Donations in Dave’s Memory to these organizations are appreciated:
PanCan Action Network: https://pancan.org/
Dane County Parks Foundation: https://www.foundationfordanecountyparks.org/
PBS Wisconsin / History Programs: https://pbswisconsin.org/donate/