Dagny "Arlene" Heig

Dagny Arlene Hopper Heig, 90, of Plover, Wisconsin, passed away on May 9, 2025.

Arlene was born on August 15, 1934 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Keith & Dagny (Fanum) Hopper.  Her family immigrated to Minnesota in 1948. She was naturalized as a US Citizen in 1954.

Arlene graduated from Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1952 and from the University of Minnesota, School of Nursing in 1957, specializing in Gerontology and Adult Education.

After receiving her degree, she toured Europe and worked at the Frederksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Arlene married Vincent Alan Heig at the First Unitarian Church, St. Paul, Minnesota on October 8, 1960.  While in Minnesota, Arlene worked at Hamline University and as a public school nurse for Ramsey County.  She relocated to Portage County, Wisconsin when her husband, Vincent, began teaching at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 1968.  Arlene worked at the Portage County Home (Stevens Point, WI), Wisconsin Veterans Hospital (King, WI), and North Central Technical College (Wausau, WI).

Although a nurse by training, Arlene was an artist at heart.  She taught watercolor classes at the Lincoln Center in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and opened her own business, VASAH Lakeside Studios in 1983.  Arlene was happiest when creating - painting, drawing, book-making, wood cutting and doing pysanky.  She described drawing as being meditative, both calming and energizing.  It was rare to find her without her sketchpad & pens!

Arlene also enjoyed knitting, international folk dancing, reading mysteries, playing piano, writing poetry, watching nature, attending art classes, traveling, and enjoying pie with her friends.  Some of her favorite things were hot-cross buns, her beloved pets, and Bulgarian folk music.

Arlene was preceded in death by her mother, Dagny, her father, Keith, and her brother, Jon Hopper.

She is survived by her husband Vincent Heig, daughters Sonja and Annalisa, and her grandson Adrian.

Favorite saying:  "What is life but recycled stardust."

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations are made in Arlene's name to the Portage County Humane Society. Arlene had a love for all animals throughout her whole life. Please visit https://hspcwi.org/donate/ to make a donation.

Pisarski Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Heig Family.