Duane Moose Woltzen an icon of Lakeland College who carved his own chapter in Wisconsin basketball history died Friday March 6 2009 at his home in Port Washington Wis. He was 75.nbsp;He was known to nearly everyone as Moose certainly because of his commanding physical presence but also because of the life-changing contributions he made to so many of the young people whose lives he touched during his two decades at Lakeland.nbsp;On the court Woltzen became the first Wisconsin basketball coach to win 500 career games (1985) and for years held the title of Wisconsin's winningest basketball coach. He finished his college coaching career which spanned from 1965-88 with a 536-229 record for a gaudy career winning percentage of 70 percent.nbsp;Off the court Woltzen and his wife of 52 years Dona who died in 2006 touched the lives of countless Lakeland alumni who would flock to their side at a moment's notice with their unconditional love and support.nbsp;The Woltzens had two children - Julie and Scott - but in reality they had many.nbsp;Today the College feels a tremendous sense of loss said Lakeland president Stephen Gould. Moose was such a great representative of what we do around here. Together Moose and Dona made a significant difference in the lives of many Lakeland College student athletes. They did so by caring and caring a lot. They will always represent in fullest measure the spirit of the college.nbsp;After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees at Illinois State University in 1957 and 1959 respectively the Minonk Ill. native began his career as a teacher at Lincoln High School in Lincoln Ill. where he coached basketball football and track. He read in a Chicago paper that Lakeland College was looking for a basketball coach and he was hired in 1964 by then-president John Morland. The idea was to get some college coaching experience and move along the path to his dream job - UCLA.nbsp;But like it has for so many who come to Lakeland it didn't quite work that way.nbsp;My goal in life was to establish my credentials and prove that I could coach college athletes and leave this place Woltzen said in 2005. And we got some good offers. But Dona didn't want to move to Anchorage Alaska or California or UW-Milwaukee so we stayed.nbsp;The Woltzens settled into a home on Lakeland's Prof Row quickly becoming the anchors of the community on campus. For over five decades Moose and Dona were partners in life setting a model for caring and sharing for all that came to know them.nbsp;The main gymnasium in Lakeland's Todd Wehr Athletic Center used for the first time during the 2005-06 season was named The Moose amp; Dona Woltzen Gymnasium in a dedication ceremony on Father's Day in June of 2005.nbsp;When Woltzen stepped down as Lakeland's men's basketball coach and athletic director in 1988 he left a legacy that helped fill Lakeland's trophy case. His tenure saw Lakeland win 20 or more games in 18 of his 23 seasons as the Muskies captured 11 conference championships. In 1965-66 Lakeland represented Wisconsin at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship tournament.nbsp;The Muskies played many of their home games during Woltzen's tenure at the Sheboygan Municipal Armory often packing the facility with local fans for showdowns with rival private schools or members of the State University Conference.nbsp;But Woltzen's reach went far beyond Lakeland and Sheboygan County.nbsp;A frequent guest speaker at basketball camps and clinics and to service clubs he was a fixture on the international basketball scene. The Muskies regularly played overseas during Lakeland Winterims taking trips to Austria Denmark England Holland Jamaica Scotland Spain and other countries.nbsp;Woltzen started his own international sports tours business and he managed international trips for numerous college and university basketball programs at all levels and brought international teams to the U.S.nbsp;Woltzen served as a coach for the U.S. team in the Pan Am games in 1975 he coached a U.S. team in Russia in 1973 and 1978 served on the USA Men's Basketball Olympic Committee and scouted for the Olympic Basketball team.nbsp;In a story in the Oct. 11 1982 edition of The Sheboygan Press then-sports editor Denny Moyer wrote Moose is Moose. Always has been always will be whether standing next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris or a corn stalk in Minonk Ill. sitting in a gondola in Venice or in a living room in the Chicago slums negotiating with a cab driver in Amsterdam or an official in the Sheboygan Armory.nbsp;A longtime member of the NAIA District 14 Executive Committee Woltzen was president vice president and treasurer of the NAIA Basketball Coaches Association.nbsp;He was inducted into the Lakeland College Hall of Fame ISU Athletic Hall of Fame Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and NAIA District 14 Athletic Hall of Fame and named a recipient of the ISU Alumni Achievement Award. In 1988 he was named to Milwaukee Magazine's list of The 88 Most Interesting People. nbsp;br /Service:br /pSunday March 15 2009 at 10:00 AM at the Moose and Dona Woltzen Gymnasium at Lakeland College./p