Richard "Rick" Gudex (July 23, 1968 – October 12, 2016) was an American

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

production manager In the cinema of the United States, a unit production manager (UPM) is the Directors Guild of America–approved title for the top below-the-line staff position, responsible for the administration of a feature film or television production. Non- ...

and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was the former Fond du Lac

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

president, and on November 6, 2012, he defeated incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Jessica King Jessica Jeane King (born July 21, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. She is a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 18th district when elected in 2011. She defeated incumbent Republican Senato ...

from her seat in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

's 18th District by 590 votes.

Background

According to his campaign biography, Gudex was born in

Eden, Wisconsin Eden is a village in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 875 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Eden. History A post office called Eden was first established in 1850. Eden was named after ...

, in 1968, graduated from St. Mary's Springs High School, and worked full-time for the family business before becoming a shop worker at the

Gehl Company Gehl Company is an American manufacturer of compact equipment headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin. The main campus in West Bend, built on , includes not only the headquarters but also the research and development facilities for the entire enter ...

, soon becoming a supervisor. As of 2012, he was a production manager at Brenner Tank.

Public office

In 1998, he was living in

Mayville, Wisconsin Mayville is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Rock River and the Horicon Marsh. The population was 5,154 at the 2010 census. Geography Mayville is located at (43.497044, -88.547871). According to the Unite ...

, and was elected the city's Mayor. When he moved back to Eden, he was elected to the

Village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Board. Gudex and his wife Kim moved to Fond du Lac in 2005; in 2009, he won a seat on the Fond du Lac City Council and was re-elected in 2011. In 2012, he began his third term as President of the Council.

Personal life and death

Gudex was married to Kim; the couple had two children. He was an active member of his Catholic

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

and belonged to the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

. Gudex died on October 12, 2016, aged 48 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At the time of his death he had been serving as President pro tempore of the Wisconsin Senate. State Senator

Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...

was quoted as saying "I was deeply saddened to hear this morning of the passing of Senator Rick Gudex. Rick will be deeply missed by his Senate colleagues; our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gudex, Rick 1968 births 2016 suicides People from Eden, Wisconsin Mayors of places in Wisconsin Wisconsin city council members Republican Party Wisconsin state senators American politicians who committed suicide Suicides by firearm in Wisconsin 21st-century American politicians People from Mayville, Wisconsin Catholics from Wisconsin