A public memorial service will be held on Saturday in Waupun for Jeff Hicken, the agriculture and natural resources education consultant with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction who died on Friday. Hicken, who was 47, passed away after suffering medical complications since May 28.
Hicken attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls majoring in agricultural education. He began his career as an agricultural instructor and FFA advisor at Sauk Prairie High School in 1998.
During his teaching career, Jeff was named Wisconsin High School Teacher of the Year in 2003. He was a recipient of the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Young Member Award, and earned the Herb Kohl Fellowship Award for excellence in education. In 2017, Jeff was given honorary membership into the UW-Madison chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity.
He has held his current role at DPI since 2006, which also includes the duties of being the State FFA Advisor. He was also a member of the National FFA Board of Directors.
During his youth, Hicken served as the State FFA Sentinel in 1992-93 from the Lomira FFA Chapter. In 1999, he married Sheri Holt, who also served as a state FFA officer and later Alice in Dairyland. She survives him, along with two sons, Cole and Drew.
A public visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 26, at the Waupun Area Junior/Senior High School. A special memorial service led by Pastor Gwen Loomans is planned for 2:00 p.m., followed by additional visitation time from 3-5 p.m.
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