🌸 Honoring GiGi Macasaet

The Heart of Our Family and the Viroqua Public Market

A Quiet Force of Love and Light

To know GiGi Macasaet is to love her.

Her understated presence infuses any space she occupies with love and light. It’s with this calm, steady energy that she has acted as the anchor point for her family and for Viroqua Public Market.

“She will flit behind the scenes, as most matriarchs do, performing the invisible, often thankless, tasks that are crucial to the success of the organization but that rarely garner recognition.”

So now, we pause to recognize, honor and celebrate the woman at the foundation of our family and, by extension, the Public Market: the one and only GiGi Macasaet.

Her Roots: A Childhood of Harmony

To understand GiGi, you must understand her origin story.

She was born and raised in an eclectic neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (circa 1950s), at a time when neighbors of different religions and ethnicities seamlessly coexisted and blended their life stories.

Whether:

• Walking to piano lessons at the local Catholic church

• Playing outside with children from the nearby Jewish orphanage

…GiGi felt safe, secure, and connected.

“Milwaukee in that era was known as ‘the biggest small town in the country.’”

She fondly remembers enjoying fudgesicles for a nickel with her best friend, Marilyn, under a canopy of towering elm trees.

Inspired by Her Mother’s Courage

As the youngest of four siblings in a large Jewish family, GiGi was surrounded by love.

Her mother was particularly influential—a woman of strong convictions and big heart who:

• Fought for justice and equal rights

• Believed deeply in the promise of the American Dream

• Modeled resilience and compassion

These values planted early roots in GiGi’s heart.

A Love Story Written in the Stars

After high school, GiGi was unsure of her path—until she answered a classified ad for a “mail girl” at Deaconess Hospital.

Little did she know…

That job would lead her to the love of her life: Dr. Rolando (“Roly”) Macasaet.

“While many interns at the hospital had their eye on the fashionable new mail girl with long brown hair and a smile that would stop traffic, GiGi only had eyes for Roly.”

Their love story blossomed late one spring on a first official date—walking hand in hand by a creek, when they shared their first kiss under what would become The Sweetheart Tree.

🎵 Cue the lyrics to “The Sweetheart Tree” by Johnny Mathis:

“They say if you kiss the right sweetheart… Big blossoms of white will burst into sight…”

A Family Grows—and So Does Their Purpose

That magical kiss marked the beginning of a beautiful life.

They merged their lives, moved across cities (New York, St. Louis), visited Roly’s family in the Philippines, and welcomed their first two children, Tony and Laurie.

Eventually, they found their true home: Viroqua, Wisconsin, in 1973.

“GiGi knew that raising her children here would afford them the same type of safe, carefree childhood she cherished in Milwaukee.”

They would go on to grow their family with two more children: David and Rachel.

Giving Back, Grounded in Gratitude

With a deep love for their community, GiGi and Roly gave back wholeheartedly:

• Roly through his work at the hospital

• GiGi through 11 years on the City Council

And then, in 2004, a new dream took root…

They partnered with their eldest son, Tony, to bring the Viroqua Public Market to life.

Building Dreams Through VPM

Creating VPM was no small task—but GiGi leaned in fully.

“At an age when many people are plotting their retirement plans, GiGi instead suited up and got to work.”

With her loyal dog Chrissy as “dog in residence,” GiGi cared for the Market for 10 years—handling it all with grace, grit, and quiet strength.

VPM became more than a marketplace. It became a manifestation of values passed down from her mother and grandmother:

• That everyone deserves a shot at the American Dream

• That every person, regardless of identity, should be able to build something of their own

By offering affordable space for entrepreneurs, VPM has helped hundreds of people launch businesses—some of which have gone on to open their own brick-and-mortar stores.

A Marketplace—and a Movement

VPM is more than commerce.

It is a gathering place for:

• Stories

• Collaboration

• Celebration

• Empowerment

“It is this spirit of cohesion, this experience of seeing in practice that ‘united we stand, divided we fall,’ that harkens back to the feeling of true connection that GiGi knew growing up.”

In a world often focused on what separates us, GiGi has helped create a space that celebrates what brings us together.

Love, Loss, and Legacy

This year, GiGi faced an unimaginable loss:

The passing of her beloved husband and soulmate, Dr. Roly Macasaet.

And still… she showed up. She continues to show up.

Whether it’s:

• Watering plants

• Paying the mortgage

• Making bank deposits

• Or tending to the widowed dove who shares her grief

…GiGi tends to Viroqua Public Market like a sacred garden, ensuring the conditions are just right for dreams to bloom.

“She is tending to the garden that is Viroqua Public Market so that the conditions are ripe for the seeds of the American dream to grow.”

With Love and Gratitude

GiGi, you are seen.

You are appreciated.

And you are deeply loved.

From your family, your community, and all who have been touched by your gentle light—thank you. 💛