There was nothing average about 'Doc' Cramer

“Have an average day.”

That was one of the countless lines that the quick-witted and extremely clever Gregg ‘Doc’ Cramer often delivered.

Cramer, a longtime teacher and coach in the Middleton/Cross Plains district, and a beloved member of the community, died unexpectedly on Aug. 15. He was 72.

The great American showman P.T. Barnum once said, “Always leave them wanting more.” Cramer did exactly that.

“He brought joy to everybody he was around,” Middleton co-head football coach Tim Simon said. “He was a funny guy, he kept things on the lighter side and in perspective.”

While Cramer loved delivering his “have an average day” line, there was nothing average about him.

Cramer taught English at Middleton High School for 33 years. He coached football for most of that time, as well as track and field.

Later, he became a fixture in the press box working home Middleton football games.

No matter what Cramer was doing, his one-liners always put a smile on faces.

“It was his voice inflection, his timing, everything about him,” Middleton boys basketball coach Kevin Bavery said. “He knew how to deliver a joke just perfectly. And he was really, really funny.”

Bavery said once a year while he was conducting practice, Cramer would pass through the gym and yell out, ‘is today the day I demonstrate my free throw method to your team?’

“The first time he did it I had no idea what he was up to, but I played along and replied ‘no, that’s another day Doc,’ ” Bavery said. “And he’d tip his cap and leave the gym.”

Several seasons into the bit, Bavery yelled back, ‘yes Doc, today is the day.’

The thing is, Cramer didn’t have a magical free throw method.

“I caught him off guard and he asked ‘are you sure?’ But he came in anyway and did something hilariously entertaining on the spot,” Bavery said. “The next day he got after me about ruining the schtick, then we had a pretty good laugh about it.”

Simon coached football with Cramer for several years. He said Cramer knew how to keep things light for everyone — even in a sport as intense as football.

“I remember one year in about 2000, we were playing Rockford and they were driving late to try and win the game,” Simon recalled. “We called a timeout and Doc went out into our defensive huddle.

“When he came back I said, “What’d you tell them?’ He said, ‘I told them they can’t score if you guys get the football.’

“Well sure enough, we take the ball away and win the game. It seemed like kind of obvious strategy, but it loosened up the guys in the huddle. Doc knew his X’s and O’s, but he also knew how to keep things light. He did a great job keeping things in proper perspective and brought joy to everyone’s heart.”

Cramer was also an extremely popular English teacher, who touched the lives of countless students.

“He was a great teacher,” Simon said. “Again, he knew his stuff and made the class fun.”

Cramer is survived by his wife, Nancy Johnson; their three children, Kelly, Casey and Clancy; and seven grandchildren.

Services will be held Thursday at St. Lukes Lutheran Church, 7337 Hubbard Avenue, in Middleton. Visitation is at 1 p.m. and services are at 2 p.m.

A reception will be held at Middleton Lake View Park, 6300 Mendota Avenue following the service.