Jon Michael Schoeffel

Jon Michael Schoeffel, age 80, passed away peacefully on July 31, with his cherished wife of 57 years by his side. Though he was frequently ornery and often frustrating to those who loved him, he will nevertheless be remembered for his integrity, quiet strength, wry sense of humor, and deep devotion to his family, friends, and pets. We loved him fiercely.

Jon contracted polio before his first birthday, resulting in the permanent loss of muscle mass in his left leg. Though his early years were marked by significant pain and frequent surgeries, he never let these challenges limit his ambition, nor did he let his disability define his identity. He was a physically active child, even with a full leg brace, playing sports, riding bikes, and swimming. Jon was also a good student throughout his childhood, finishing high school at the top of his class in 1964. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1968, he earned his law degree at UW-Madison in 1971, graduating cum laude, and was inducted as a member of the Order of the Coif.

During college, he met the love of his life, Barbara Ann Kreier, over summer break in 1966 at a beer bar called The Roost outside of Beaver Dam. They were married on August 31, 1968, and welcomed their first child, Melissa, in 1971 in Madison. After a few years working at a Madison law firm, Jon was hired at J.I. Case in Racine, Wisconsin, where he and Barbara welcomed their second child, Adam.

Jon and Barb raised their family in Racine on a shady street in a quiet subdivision where the kids played outside with friends, rode bikes, fell off roofs and broke collarbones, and staged creekside weddings for their dogs. He attended countless of Adam's soccer games and Melissa's dance recitals. He built a family room and bar in the basement—where he spent many evenings and weekends watching television, drinking brandy manhattans and smoking a pipe packed with a fragrant cherry tobacco. With his own father, he built a deck in the backyard, and he designed and led the construction of an ambitious home remodel that required building an entirely new garage underneath the existing one and remodeling the old garage into additional living space. Despite the fact that the addition hosted well over a decade of holidays, anniversaries, and birthday parties, it was forever referred to as "the new room."

Jon's tenure with J.I. Case brought him to far-flung places around the world, from Greece to Argentina, as well as domestic travel to New York City, Houston, and Miami (or, as his then toddler daughter called it, "your ammee"). After over a decade with Case, Jon went on to work as general counsel for Western Publishing in Racine, Bear Automotive in Milwaukee, and HON Industries in Muscatine, Iowa. After HON, he returned to Racine and worked for the Racine office of von Briesen, Purtell & Roper before retiring from his practice of law at Knuteson, Powers, and Wheeler to devote more time to chuckling at the comics, perfecting his golf game, clipping coupons, and watching the birds and squirrels at the feeder.

His final years were similar to his early years—marked by significant pain and mobility issues. As his health declined and his ability to move independently was steadily diminished, he spent several years in assisted living and later in a skilled nursing facility. Though difficult, these years were filled with the small comforts of family and friendship. Kris and Gary Veenstra brought him many pizzas and cherry desserts (his favorites). His best friend Joe Somogyi visited often with contraband brandy, continuing their time-honored happy hour tradition. He traded jokes with his favorite caregivers and continued to watch countless reruns of classic television shows, read his daily comics, and delight in the birds outside his window. His last words were "I love you very much," and we are forever grateful to have been with him in his final hours.

Jon is survived by his wife Barb, his children Melissa and Adam (Niki Iverson), grandchildren Felix, Alfred, and Dylan, brother Mark (Cynthia), and siblings-in-law Tom and Vickie Meyer. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Gary.

As Jon was a private person and didn't like to make a fuss, funeral services will not be held. Please share your memories of Jon in the Memories section of this obituary. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases in recognition of his lifelong battle with the effects of polio.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to Jon's caregivers at St. Monica's Senior Living, Brookside Care Center, and Hospice Alliance. We recognize the love with which Jon was cared for by all of you in the final years of his life, and we appreciate the compassion you extended toward his family, as well.