11/11/2021
Reposted from
We are devastated by the news this week of the passing of another beloved member of our roller derby family. Fauna Ganson (aka Liltle Lebowski, aka Dude) died on Monday, Nov. 8 in Madison after a brief hospital stay that was the result of a blood clot that traveled to her lungs.
The entire Madison Roller Derby community sends our sincere condolences to Fauna’s family, friends, and all who knew and loved her. We will share information about an official memorial as we have it. A roller derby memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 2pm to ~6pm at Mickeys Tavern in Madison.
Fauna, known affectionately as Dude or Lil’ Dude by her MRD teammates, began her skating career with Wreckers Madison Roller Derby and eventually joined Wisconsin United Roller Derby, too. She shared her training insights with both leagues and was drafted as a skater with the Reservoir Dolls home team in 2018, eventually moving to bench management in 2019.
With the Wreckers, Dude skated in the first away games the team ever played, in Des Moines, IA in 2013.
Dude will forever be remembered for being a big-hearted introvert--someone who, despite generally eschewing them, gave great hugs. She was straight-forward and sharp-witted, an incredible cheerleader, a no-nonsense bench manager, a scrappy skater, and a die-hard friend. She lived life very much on her own terms, embodying a “do no harm, take no sh*t” ethos. She is gone much, much too soon.
“Little Lebowski was an integral member of MRD,” said Ironside, co-Executive Director of Madison Roller Derby. “She was a strong champion of the Wreckers recreational team and always had good feedback and advice for new skaters. She was a skilled skater and coach, and forged deep bonds with many people. Dude's candor and perspective were valued by many, and her absence is deeply felt among our membership. We will miss her terribly.”
Rest easy, Dude.
