Obituary | Peter Hoell, 57, of Germantown, WI

Hoell, Peter G. “Pete”

Found peace on July 3, 2024 at the age of 57. Beloved husband of Anne-Marie (nee Radmann) for almost 19 years. Cherished dad of Caitlin (Matthew) Fedie and Logan Hoell. Treasured son of Charlotte and the late Gary Hoell. Brother of Paul (Kristine) Hoell, James (Christine) Hoell and John (Kelly) Hoell. Further survived by aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many dear friends.

Pete loved yardwork and landscaping. He loved hunting and traveling. Pete graduated from Sheboygan North High School in 1985 and earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UW Milwaukee in 1989. He was very dedicated to the Germantown Police Department and the Germantown community.

Visitation will be Monday July 8, 2024 at Life Church, W164 N11325 Squire Dr. in Germantown, from 10am-1:45pm. Service at 2pm.

The family would like to thank the staff at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center and Aurora Medical Center Grafton for all of their compassionate care and support during this time.

We would like to share the kind words from the Germantown Police Department:

“It is with profound sadness that I must inform the community of the passing of former Chief of Police, Pete Hoell. It was less than five years ago that I composed a post celebrating his retirement. Needless to say, we are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of our former leader, and a man that is still commonly referred to as “Chief”.

Chief Hoell served his entire 30 plus year career with the Germantown Police Department. His first day was April 17th, 1989. He actually missed his college graduation to begin his undercover assignment with the Washington County Metro Drug Unit. He worked this position full-time his first year, then served in a part time roll for many years as he worked as a patrol officer with the Germantown Police Department. He gained a vast amount of experience in that role that benefited him immensely throughout his career.

Chief Hoell rose through the ranks quickly and before his five-year anniversary had attained the rank of patrol sergeant. Chief Hoell was regarded as someone who would do what the department needed. Prior to his promotion he had served as a field training officer for new recruits. Once promoted he learned he was the last certified field trainer in the department and was tasked with training one more recruit. As eager as he was to start his new role as a sergeant, he approached his last assignment as a field trainer with the same passion and commitment that he approached any task assigned to him.

Within a year he was assigned to the administrative sergeant position.  He was promoted to Lieutenant shortly after that. Ultimately, he achieved the rank of Police Chief, a goal he had set for himself at the beginning of his career. He held that position for over 16 years. I believe the average tenure for a police chief in the state of Wisconsin is between 5-7 years. You can imagine the strength necessary to serve in that position for 16 years. Even the strongest are certain to feel a considerable burden throughout those years. Chief Hoell conducted himself admirably and served with distinction.

Chief Hoell believed in transparency and used social media to ensure the public was well informed regarding law enforcement matters. This is from his last official post as the Germantown Chief:

“It has been an absolute pleasure communicating with all of you on this page. I tried to keep it informative, while every now and then having a little fun. I also attempted to humanize the badge and break down barriers. What I mean by breaking down barriers is creating good communication with the public we serve. As a hypothetical explanation, think about going to a gathering where you don’t know anyone in the room. For a lot of people, it may be a little uncomfortable not knowing anyone, communication may be a bit challenging. Now think about going to a gathering where the room is filled with friends and family. Communication is obviously more comfortable, and you feel more at ease.”

Chief Hoell was a great boss and a caring friend. In law enforcement a Cop’s Cop is someone who watches out for his officers, has their back, and gives them the support they need to do their job. Pete was a Cop’s Cop.  His leadership style emphasized accountability, where expectations were made clear. He was able to measure this with compassion and a genuine concern for his people. Too often the burdens of this job are felt long after retirement and especially by those who gave so much.

I pray God comfort family and friends with the assurance that those burdens are gone and our friend and loved one is at peace.”