Vicki Lynne (Gaddis) Engel, of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, passed away June 26, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Gordon Engel; parents, Gene and Doris Gaddis; and granddaughter, Lydia Fiesel. She is survived by her sister, Sheryl Lindholm; her daughters, Kacia Engel (Troy Fiesel) and Keeli Edwards (Andrew); beloved grandchildren, Liam, Franklin, and Emmeline; and nieces and nephews.
Having taught kindergarten in Edina, St. Croix Falls, Cushing, and Dresser for over 40 years and establishing the Blanding Woods Preschool, Vicki was well-known as a pillar of the community by multiple generations. Her Little Red Schoolhouse summer school program, swimming lessons, the Ugly Bug Ball, and Kindergarten Circus were particularly beloved, and she served as a Girl Scout leader, Marriage Encounter team leader, and community education teacher for several years. She earned an MEd from the University of Minnesota, for which she taught a memorable summer in Kinghorn, Scotland. She cherished her many friendships, most notably with the VENUS ladies from her university days, as well as those from multiple book studies and support and prayer groups over the years. As Edina High School’s synchronized swimming coach, she led the team to win four state championships. In retirement she was an active member of both the Northwest Wisconsin Regional Writers and Wedin’s Writers groups, which encouraged her lifelong passion for creative writing and poetry. Her avid involvement in the communities in which she lived was a testament to her personal motto: “Bloom where you are planted.”
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m., at Alliance Church of the Valley in St. Croix Falls on Monday, July 21, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Alliance Church of the Valley.
