Dr. Rhea Stagner Das

Posted on July 17, 2024

Dr. Rhea Stagner Das was born on Dec. 19, 1929, in Madison, Wis.

Her mother was Margaret Wieland Stagner and father was Dr. Ross Stagner.

After graduating from high school in Hanover, N.H., in 1947, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1951, then her master’s degree in 1953 and her Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1955.

She married B.C. Das in 1952 and, after receiving her PhD, she moved to Calcutta, India, where she was a professor at the Indian Statistical Institute until 1970.

She also taught at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, for a short period during this time.

She had two children, a daughter, Linda and a son, Raul.

In 1970, she divorced B.C. Das and moved to Superior, Wis., where she raised her children and was a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

She retired from the University of Wisconsin in 1997 and moved to Perry to be near her grandchildren.

She is survived by: her daughter, Linda Liu. and son-in-law, Long Liu; her son, Raul Das, and daughter-in-law, Missy Das; four grandchildren, Rhea, Sierra, Marisa and Serena Das; and one great-grandson, Ezra Das.

Rhea Stagner Das passed on July 12, 2024.

She lived a long and happy life, and will be remembered as an independent, caring person who felt the world could be a better place by the choices we make and the actions we take.

She was a pioneer and an adventurous spirit.

She became a professor at a time when there were very few women in the field.

She designed the only degree course for art therapy in the country and has articles published in academic journals.

She travelled the world and lived her life exactly the way she wanted to.

She was an incredible role model who ensured her family knew the importance of an education and a strong work ethic.

She taught her children and grandchildren how to set challenging goals and work hard to achieve them.

She supported her family and was always there when they needed her.

She advocated for animals and deeply loved her Great Pyrenees dogs, Trigger, Tuyu, Kona and Dakota.

Private services will be held at a later date.

All services are under the care of Joe P Burns Funeral Home of Perry.