Dane County Coroner John Stanley is being remembered for his compassion and his professionalism after his death Sunday of an apparent heart attack. He was 63.

Stanley, coroner since 2001, was pronounced dead by a staff member from his office who went to Stanley's DeForest home upon hearing the news, said Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.

"This is taking a significant toll on the men and women of the coroner's office and the public safety community," said Mahoney, who worked side-by-side with Stanley for nearly 20 years. "He was an outstanding public servant. He was the consummate professional and took his constitutional responsibilities very seriously."

Chief Deputy Coroner Kurt Karbusicky has been named interim coroner, said Joshua Wescott, spokesman for Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. Gov. Jim Doyle will appoint a permanent coroner to serve the remainder of Stanley's term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2011, Wescott said.

Stanley joined the coroner's office in 1991 and was chief deputy coroner for former Coroner Ray Wosepka. He was elected coroner in November 2000 after Wosepka decided to retire after being diagnosed with throat cancer.

"John was quiet and humble, but always good for a smile," Falk said in a statement. "John's compassion and empathy was there for so many families at their most needy times."

"We've got the ability to make it a little easier for people when they're dealing with tragedy," Stanley said when he was sworn in as coroner in January 2001.

Stanley is survived by his wife and three children.

He served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He formerly served as a police sergeant in McFarland, a part-time detective for the Dane County Sheriff's Office, a firefighter and EMT for the town of Madison and security supervisor for St. Mary's Hospital, Wescott said.

In the spring of 2005, Stanley was called on to set up a coroner's office in Rock County on a moment's notice after the resignation of a coroner who was under investigation for theft.

Stanley was chairman of the legislative committee for the Wisconsin Coroners & Medical Examiners Association and worked hand-in-hand with medical examiners in the pathology department at UW-Madison who conducted autopsies for Stanley's office.

Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard said Stanley's death is a loss for the county because of the way he was able to relate to families who had lost a loved one.

"He was victim-centered in the best sense of that phrase," Blanchard said.

"His steady hand, wealth of knowledge, kind manner, and warm smile will be greatly missed," Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said in statement. "He dealt in death, but it was his way of comforting and helping the living cope with painful losses for which he should be remembered."

- State Journal reporters George Hesselberg and Sandy Cullen contributed to this story.