Musician Dave Habeck remembered by community

Love of music traced back to high school
By: 
David Wilhelms
Correspondent

Dave Habeck, Leopolis, a longtime presence in the local music community, was remembered for his smile and positive influence even as his body failed from fighting Lyme’s disease. He passed away at age 61 on July 7.

Kurby Hoffman was a bandmate with Habeck in Burnt Toast and Jam, a popular string band in the area that Habeck helped to start. The band recorded three albums.

Hoffman said of Habeck, “We’ve been friends for a long, long time. Music was a big part of our friendship but life was also a big part of our friendship. The music was at the center of the connection but we connected in so many other ways.”

“I don’t believe he had any enemies. There’d just be no reason to. He was just so easy to get along with,” Hoffman added.

Hoffman credited Habeck with teaching him a lot and his extreme creativity.

Hoffman added he developed an instinctual connection with Habeck when playing music, “We just had a lot of fun. I can’t ever remember arguing with Dave about anything that had to do with music or anything else for that matter.

Hoffman applauded Habeck’s stage presence and general musicianship. “He was a very easy guy to play music with. The times we had, I mean, you could fill a book. There’s nothing but good to say,” he recalled.

Joel Kroenke, a longtime advocate for music in Shawano and a musician, called Habeck “a positive, friendly presence in the Shawano music community. He was a talented performing and recording musician.”

Kroenke added, “In his humble, reassuring way, he taught music,” referring to the many years Habeck taught guitar, mandolin and ukelele.

Part of Habeck’s presence in Shawano was his Jungle Music store on Main Street and later Makin’ Music. Kroenke recalled Habeck supplied other musicians through the store and his willing support of the Shawano folk festival and other music events.

“He will be missed by many people. I know he reached a lot of people through his music,” Kroenke said, adding he’d remember Habeck as always having a smile and being a great influence on a lot of people.

“The biggest thing I’ll say is they don’t make many like him,” said Tod Pubanz, also a Burnt Toast and Jam member.

Habeck was a “unique musical talent,” Pubanz added.

“He had songs I don’t hear other people playing,” Pubanz said. “His approach was unique.”

Pubanz called it an honor to play music with Habeck.

“He was just a big personality,” Pubanz said. “But he still had a devilish grin and a devilish attitude. That was part of the whole attraction.”

Even as far back as his high school days in Shawano, Pubanz said everyone liked Habeck, a 1977 graduate, and that in itself was something of an achievement. Pubanz noted that Habeck taught music to, and played with, members of Burnt Toast and Jam and their family members since that time.

As a band member, Pubanz said Habeck, who started playing music at age 16, “kept us all in line or helped us get out of line.”

Given all of his creativity, Habeck was the most structured in the band, Pubanz continued, “He always wanted to have things down ‘tight.’”

Pubanz conceded the band members needed that structure even as they fought him on it.

“As a bass player, I like to have that structure” but sometimes he also wants to go “off on his own” in a song, Pubanz said.

Pubanz didn’t identify Habeck as the band’s leader, saying Burnt Toast and Jam relied on collaboration, but people in the audience as well as the band were drawn to him.

“We were all just friends,” Pubanz said.

Habeck passed away at his home from complications from Lyme disease, which he contracted 10 years ago.

Habeck was born Nov. 19, 1958, in Shawano. He worked at Lee’s Music and Mary’s Music before working as a lineman at Asplundh. He then attended North Central Technical School where he earned his associate’s degree in business. On Aug. 10, 1985, he married Laura Lindner on her parents’ farm.

On the day his daughter was born, he wrote “Oh Angelina,” featured on his first album, “Western Plains,” by Habeck and Butz.

Although his focus was on spending time with his wife, daughter and grandchildren, his hobbies included camping, fishing, gardening, campfires, and cross-country skiing and he was said to also love vacuuming.

A celebration of his life will be Monday, July 13, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at his home, W13061 Leopolis Road, Leopolis. Friends and family are asked to make a donation to Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary in Marion or a local music organization in his name.

Pubanz concluded that, even in his final years as he struggled with Lyme disease, Habeck “had a smile on his face and was happy as could be.”

A full obituary is online and will be in the July 17 edition of the Shawano Leader.