Chad DeLain

Chad DeLain passed away unexpectedly at home on October 13, 2025.  Chad was born in Appleton, WI on April 19th, 1968 to Richard DeLain and Sandra (Eichsteadt) DeLain and attended Appleton East High School, Class of 1986.

Chad also loved being a cat dad and is survived by his two Siamese cats, Willow and Ash.  He was greeted at the Rainbow bridge by his favorite Siamese cat, P.I.N.T.A.  Chad joined the Army at age 18 and served as a PFC with distinction with the US Army 101st Airborne in the first Gulf War.  Chad loved living in both Colorado and California in his younger years before returning to Wisconsin to be closer to family.  He wanted to work as an avalanche abatement specialist which combined his love of skiing, danger, and explosions before life took him in another direction.   Chad worked at a variety of jobs over the years in Colorado, California and Wisconsin including working and supervising crews to lay pipelines for natural gas and oil.  Since moving back to Wisconsin, he worked at a variety of companies in the paper industry including Dunsirm (now Avery Dennison), Gladfelter, Mondi, Appleton Papers, Apvion, and most recently Voith.   Chad loved adventure and thrill-seeking activities starting at an early age.  He started by pedaling his tricycle off the porch at 18 months, then riding his BigWheel at top speed down the street wearing a plastic bag as a cape and pretending it was the Batmobile, later graduating to bicycles and then fast motorcycles, enjoying many scenic drives throughout the winding mountain roads of Colorado.  He was a car and boat guy whose favorite cars were Corvettes and Cameros, speed boats, and jet skis (pretty much anything that went fast) and his fondest dream for the afterlife was to be mixed into the paint of a vintage Corvette after his passing.  Chad’s to do list included working to restore his father’s vintage green 1967 Mercury Cougar back to its original glory.   Chad had a great if somewhat sarcastic sense of humor and loved sarcastic, ironic t-shirts and coffee mugs to go with his morning cup of joe.  He loved spicy foods including spicy ramen noodles, Tabasco or hot sauce on just about everything, and the Wisconsin Friday night traditional fish fries at Rookies, Camelot, and Frank’s Wishing Well in Appleton.  Chad will be missed by his family and his close circle of friends.

Chad is survived by his mother, Sandra Eichsteadt, his older sister Darci DeLain (Indian Land, SC), his younger sister Laura Lewins (Rick Stroud) Neenah, WI and his beloved niece Gina Keck Sockett (Scott Sockett), New London, WI.  He was preceded in death by his father, Richard DeLain, both sets of grandparents and his first wife, Brenda (Rusky) DeLain.

In lieu of a formal funeral service, a Celebration of Life gathering will be arranged at a future date.

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