Carol Fosshage

Carol (Berle) Fosshage, age 87 of Janesville, joined the Heavenly Choir on October 7, 2026. Carol was born on April 7, 1939, in East Orange, NJ to Charles and Winifred (MacCubbin) Berle. She attended Lewiston-Porter High School, near Niagara Falls, NY (where she did a lot of ice-skating), She graduated from Northwestern University with a major in music. While there she sang in the Chapel Choir and was in the Waa-Mu-Show. At the University of Iowa, she had an assistantship to supervise student teachers and obtained her M. A. degree under the tutelage of Neal Glenn and Robert Gordon. She taught in the Kenosha and Madison Public Schools, Beloit parochial schools, and did substitute teaching in Tucson, AZ and in Janesville area schools. Carol was active in the Kenosha Little Theater, Madison Civic Opera and the Madison Symphony Chorus. For many years, Carol was composer Crawford Gates executive assistant and spent many hours copying music by hand for members of the Beloit Janesville Symphony, as well as the Utah Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony. Carol loved to sing and participate in Milton Choral Union, Masterworks Chorus, Women of Note; and she was the soloist at Christian Science churches in Janesville and Tucson. She was also an excellent pianist and accompanist. Another joy for her was playing the organ. Her interest in handbells took her to many local churches, both as a ringer and as a director. She also played solo handbells.

Carol is a past president of the MacDowell Music Club, also was on the Beloit-Janesville Symphony board and was very active with the Friends of the Symphony. Memberships in other organizations included: Sigma Alpha Iota National Professional Music Fraternity, AAUW, Sons of Norway and Lyric Operaddicts.

Carol was united in marriage to David Fosshage on June 26, 1965, in Mt. Horeb, Wis. They both enjoyed many years of golfing at Lake Ripley County Club (winning a number of trophies), traveling around the country and abroad, and attending UW football games.

Carol is survived by her son, Erik (Jenifer) of Mexico Beach, FL; grandchildren, Dane, Harper and Jude; sisters, Elizabeth (Charles) Hearey of Orinda, CA and Marjorie Nubbemeyer of Berlin, Germany; and brother, Charles (Margo) Berle of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. She was preceded in death by her husband, David; her parents; and brother-in-law, Fritz.

A celebration of Carol’s life will be held at CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, Edgerton on Saturday, October 17, 2026, with visitation from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by funeral services at 11 a.m. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mt Horeb Union Cemetery. Carol loved the color purple, so everyone is encouraged to wear something purple to the funeral. Memorials may be made to the MacDowell Music Club or the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra.

The Fosshage family is being assisted by HENKE-CLARSON FUNERAL HOME. Online condolences may be shared at www.henkeclarson.com.