It is with great sadness that we announce the tragic and unexpected death of Joel Willmann, age 31, on November 20, 2025. Joel gave his love and heart to Taylor Krzych Nielsen and together they welcomed the birth of their son, Tatum Paul Willmann, on April 5, 2023. Joel was so proud of Tatum and regularly shared funny stories and photos of Tatum's adventures. Now his two-and-a-half-year-old son, Tatum, will sadly grow up without the guidance, nurturing, and financial support of his father.

Joel was a people person and was successful working in the hospitality industry and other occupations. Most recently, Joel began a new career with the Ironworkers Union, and he was excited to be learning new skills and to perhaps use his exceptional physical strength in this new job. Joel was also an animal lover and seemed to be able to befriend dogs and cats wherever he went. During his childhood, he proved to have exceptional athleticism in baseball as a pitcher and in football as a quarterback. At age thirteen, he was measured by a radar gun throwing 82 mph fastballs. He was already teaching Tatum to play catch and looked so forward to teaching his son how to play sports. Joel had a heart of gold and always tried to find the positive in any situation. He had an amazing sense of humor and could make anyone laugh. All Joel really wanted to do was to be a good dad, and he worked hard to be one. He was a man of faith and a member of the Oshkosh Community Church.

Joel's family is therefore launching this GoFundMe campaign to raise money for establishing an education fund for Tatum -- Tatum's Education Fund. We ask for your support in donating money directly into Tatum's account which is linked to this fundraiser.