David Backes Obituary, Death – On December 23, 2022, David James Backes, who was a cherished husband, father, grandpa, and mentor, passed away at the age of 65. David is survived by his wife and best friend of more than 44 years, Judi; his children Heidi (Tony), Tim (Katie), Jenny (Cody), and Andrew; his grandchildren Rosalie, Lily, Charlie, Malachi, Jack, and Walter; and his siblings Anne (Peter) Pitterle, Joan (Tom) Sills, and Paul (Linda) Backes.
David was preceded in death by his father Gilbert F. Backes and mother Jeanne ( Even though David’s life was cut short in an untimely manner, the number of people whose lives he touched and inspired during his lifetime is incalculable. David was a mainstay in the journalism department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the better part of three decades.
During that time, he instructed students in subjects such as mass media, news reporting, Religion and Culture, and Nature and Culture, the latter of which became the defining class of his career as an educator. Students and coworkers alike grew to appreciate David’s stoic erudition, as well as his unflinching willingness to show kindness and empathy to everybody who walked through his door, and his passion for the natural world.
David received accolades for his work as the official biographer of the well-known environmentalist Sigurd F. Olson, who devoted his life to conserving the northwoods of Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. David’s book was published in 2010. Olson’s biography, which was named A Wilderness Within and received national attention and accolades, was one of Backes’s six works that were released in relation to the northwoods and Olson.
David played a significant role in preserving Olson’s legacy, and he was active from the foundation’s first days in assuring that Olson’s work and mission would continue to flourish after he passed away. David was given the ordination to become a Catholic deacon in the year 2005. After serving as a deacon at Divine Mercy Parish in South Milwaukee from 2005 until 2011, and then at St. Richard of Chichester Parish in Racine from 2011 until 2017, he eventually decided to withdraw from the ministry.
David’s spirituality and faith were intricately entwined with his adoration of the natural world, and he discovered a great deal of joy and purity in every facet of creation. In his later years, David was driven by what he referred to as a “healing ministry,” particularly the healing of the natural environment. This was his primary objective. Late in his life, most of his work was devoted to raising consciousness about the dangers that were being posed to the earth.
At the same time, he used his writing to reflect on the elegance and uncomplicated nature of the little things that can be found all around us in our daily lives. David regularly used the term “all is abundance” as a way to describe the guiding concept that he adhered to in his life. He showed love and compassion to all living things throughout his life, but especially to those who were closest to him.
He leaves behind an incredible legacy that is characterized by profound insight, comfort, kindness, humility, and thankfulness. Visitation for the memorial will be held on Saturday, January 14 from 9 to 11 AM at St. Richard Catholic Church (1503 Grand Ave, Racine), followed by Mass at 11 AM. As a gesture of condolence, the family requests that contributions be sent to the Listening Point Foundation in lieu of flowers.