It is with great sadness that we announce the death of David R. Wolf (Carmel,
Indiana; formerly of Hubertus, Wisconsin), who passed away on May 2, 2023,
at the age of 47, leaving to mourn family and friends.
Dave graduated in the class of 1994 from Hartford Union High School and went
on to pursue undergraduate Economics and History degrees at the University
of Wisconsin - Madison in 1999 as well as a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) in 2003.
An avid Badger fan, golfer, and a brother in the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity
since the fall of 1994, he held various leadership positions to include a term as
Alpha Theta Chapter President and a role as alumni Chapter Advisor. Dave
most recently served as the Executive Director of the Phi Kappa Sigma
International Fraternity in Carmel, Indiana where he served until his death.
Showing his commitment to the UW-Madison campus community, Dave
founded the Key and Scepter Society; a non-profit organization that provides
opportunities for meaningful personal development to complement academic
growth, through professional seminars, grants, and scholarships.
An avid traveler, his adventurous spirit led him throughout the United States,
Europe, and Asia. One summer he set out on his own with a backpack
completing a trek of over 950 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. His love of history
led him to various well-known and obscure locations, sites, and monuments
throughout the world.
The last few months of his life were spent researching travel plans for the
summer of 2023. He was set to cover over 25 destinations of interest, from the
terra-cotta warriors in China to the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal,
his destinations were diverse and far flung around the globe.
He took pride in saving up enough frequent flyer miles and rewards points that
the entire 3-month trip would cost him about a hundred bucks. But that was
Dave, he never bought anything that wasn’t on a double clearance closeout
sale. Only then, on occasion, he would buy 2 with a coupon.
Fiercely independent, Dave rarely asked anyone for help but was always
available to help those around him. Dave will be remembered for his laughter,
happiness, and optimism.
David was predeceased by his father William S., his mother Susan J., and his
brother Joseph J. He is survived by his brothers, William G. (Julie), and Robert J.
(Jeannine); his nephews and niece William D., Lindsey (Andrew) Zignego and
Nicholas; and his great nieces and nephews Emma, Caleb, Damian, Owen,
Adalynn, and Eva Zignego; he is further survived by other relatives and many
friends.
A private family memorial service and interment will be held at St Boniface
Catholic Church, Germantown, WI.
A celebration of Dave’s life is scheduled for June 3rd in Madison, WI. More
information about this celebration can be found at: www.pks.org/brotherwolf.php
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the David R. Wolf Memorial
Scholarship at: give.pks.org/BrotherWolf
David's life will be honored through a remembrance and celebration on Saturday, June 3. We invite everyone who was impacted by his friendship and positive spirit to join us at the visitation Saturday morning from 9:00am - 11:30am at the Phi Kappa Sigma Alpha Theta chapter location, also known as The Crypt. The Crypt is located at 315 W. Washington Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin. The remembrance will include photo boards, slideshow, time to share with one another, and a short ceremony to commemorate his life. Please feel free to come as you are, and nothing more than business casual.
After the visitation, everyone will head to one of Dave's favorite college hangouts, the Kollege Klub located at 529 N. Lake Street in Madison. Those who knew him in college joked that he spent more time at the KK than he did at the library. It will allow for a mixing of stories from people from all aspects of his life - a true cocktail of his life. Appetizers and tap beer will be provided as we celebrate his legacy to the campus community, local chapter, and international headquarters.
For those traveling to Madison from out of town and those who live locally, there will be a gathering on Friday night at the Essen Haus at a yet-to-be-scheduled time. From there, people are welcome to join in a pub crawl to hit up some of Dave's favorite spots.
To help with planning, please RSVP at www.give.pks.org/rsvp
Hyatt Place - 333 W Washington Ave
Double Tree - 525 W Johnson St
Hampton Inn - 440 W Johnson St
Carmel, IN (2023-05-03) Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity (“PKS”) announced today the passing of
Executive Director, Brother David R. Wolf (Brother Wolf). Brother Wolf passed away on Tuesday, May 2, 2023,
in Carmel, Indiana surrounded by his family.
As of the dissemination of this press release, no further information had been received from Brother Wolf’s
family regarding any funeral arrangements and/or celebration of life. Please visit our website at
www.pks.org/brotherwolf.php for further information as it is received from the Wolf Family. In of lieu of flowers
please consider helping fund the David R. Wolf Memorial Scholarship. Funds can be donated via
give.pks.org/BrotherWolf to the Mitchell Heritage Society.
The Board of Directors and Staff of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity, along with the greater Phi Kappa Sigma
brotherhood extend our deepest condolences to Brother Wolf’s family and loved ones. In respect for Brother
Wolf and the International Headquarters staff, the office will be closed and reopen on Monday, May 8, 2023.
May Brother Wolf rest peacefully in Chapter Eternal.
The Executive Committee for PKS has named Brother Ryan Eisnaugle, Director of Operations to act as Interim
Executive Director of Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity. Brother Eisnaugle will start this interim role
immediately and will assume all executive leadership roles and responsibilities for the fraternity until further
notice. Brother Eisnaugle can be reached via email at reisnaugle@pks.org or at (463) 200-5200.
About Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity
Phi Kappa Sigma (ΦΚΣ) is an international all-male college secret society and social fraternity. While nicknames
differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Skulls, Skullhouse, Phi
Kap, and PKS (the first two because of the skull and crossbones on the fraternity's badge and coat of arms). Phi
Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell at the University of Pennsylvania. Mitchell
recorded the initial ideas and concepts of Phi Kappa Sigma on August 16, 1850. He then began to discuss the
idea with other students, first Charles Hare Hutchinson, and then Alfred Victor du Pont (son of Alfred V. du
Pont), John Thorne Stone, Andrew Adams Ripka, James Bayard Hodge, and Duane Williams. The seven men
formally founded the fraternity on October 19, 1850 becoming the founding fathers of Phi Kappa Sigma. Phi
Kappa Sigma is a charter member of the North American Interfraternity Conference, and since 2017, is
headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. Prior to that, starting with its founding in 1850, the fraternity was based out
of Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.
