Robert Odin Simonson Sr.

Robert Odin Simonson Sr., loving husband of the late Doris Pommerening Simonson, and beloved father of Karin Simonson Kopischke (Alan), Eric Simonson (Susan), Robert Simonson, Jr. (Mary Kate) and Britta Simonson Callaway (Dennis), died March 19, 2019, after suffering a heart attack. He was 90 and lived in Waukesha.

Born July 2, 1928, in LaCrosse, WI, to Odin Simonson, a businessman, and Rebecca Kandal Simonson, a homemaker, both of Norwegian descent, he was educated in Fond du Lac and Sparta, where the family finally settled. After serving in the Air Force during the Korean War, he received a Bachelor of Finance degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, taking advantage of the G.I. Bill. An elective class in political science at the UWM led to a lifelong avidity for politics, including a 1950s run for that Wisconsin State Assembly seat in Monroe County.

Following a brief stint as a claims adjuster at Employers Insurance, he embarked upon a long career as an entrepreneur in the real estate field. Robert Simonson Realtor and ROS Construction, both founded in 1960 in Wauwatosa, were the first of many independent ventures. In 1971, he moved west to the Wisconsin hamlet of Eagle and opened Simonson Realty, building subdivisions in the rural community, all the while running a functioning farm, raising pigs, chickens and other livestock. Moving to Waukesha in 1982, he began a successful business as a real-estate appraisal practice.

He married Doris Pommerening of Milwaukee in 1957 and the two remained together until her death in 2014. With Doris, he traveled the world, from Mexico to Chile to his family’s native Norway. He enjoyed a lifelong connection with Door County, where he vacationed often, took art classes, attended theater performances (often featuring his children and grandchildren) and owned a condominium. An entry in a chili cook-off in Egg Harbor led to second-prize finish and a recipe for “Bob’s Norwegian Chili” that became a cherished family staple. The chili, and an equally popular recipe for salsa, was part of a late-in-life interest in cooking. A man of many interests, the walls of his home were filled with the fruits of a decades-long pursuit of painting and photography, and each of his children owned one of his Arts & Crafts-style ottomans. He was active in the Rotary Club, the Waukesha Co. Republican Party, Calvary Lutheran Church and Brookfield Highlands’ Tuesday Night Cocktail Club.

In contrast to his outgoing wife, he was a quiet, soft-spoken man, personifying the Midwestern virtues of modesty, humility and kindness. Instilled with a devotion to family and friends, he could be counted on to attend every Simonson family reunion (an annual 50-year tradition he helped to start), high school reunion, wedding and graduation. His Twitter bio read “HAPPY father and grandfather.” The punctuation was his.

In addition to his children, he is survived by his brother Gerry of Colorado Springs, CO; brother Eugene (Barbara) of Rockford, IL; sister Ruth (Dean) of Minoqua, WI; sister Mary (Don) of LaCrosse, WI; brother Jim (Gini) of Colorado Springs, CO; brother Knut (Judy) of Cranberry, PA; his sister-in-law Virginia of St. Paul; sister-in-law Ruth Trowbridge of Green Bay; sister-in-law Sandra Bloom Pommerening of Elm Grove; grandchildren Anya, Asher, Simon, Emilia, Cole, Henry and Micah; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Leroy of St. Paul, MN.

A memorial will be held at 3 pm on Saturday, March 30, at Calvary Lutheran Church, 1750 N. Calhoun Rd., Brookfield. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you make a contribution in Robert’s name to the Door Kinetic Arts Festival at http://www.doorkinetic.com