Stephen E. Felsmann

Stephen E. Felsmann of Waukesha died peacefully on Sept. 24, 2022 after a long illness. He was born Eberhard Siegfried Felsmann in Hirschberg, Silesia, Germany (now Jelenia Gora, Poland) to Gertrude Felsmann and Stefan Andrunov, taking his mother's last name as protection from the Nazi regime.
He grew up in Ingolstadt, Germany, a city on the Danube River in Bavaria. During his teenage years, he worked at a U.S. Army base translating documents and aspiring to immigrate to the United States. He eventually moved to Washington state, spending time serving in the U.S. Army.
He was granted American citizenship in 1966 and changed his first name to Stephen, after his father. Later, he graduated from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., with a bachelor's degree in business.
After graduation, he took a position in sales with Northwest Airlines. His new job enabled him to travel and the opportunity to meet his wife Judy, a registered nurse who was a flight attendant for Northwest. They were married a few years later in Minneapolis, Minn. The couple lived in Spokane, Wash., San Francisco, Calif., and Cincinnati, Ohio before settling in Waukesha. There they continued to travel the world. As District Sales Manager, he hosted many events with the Packers, Brewers and the GMO golf tournament. One of the highlights of these events was a trip on the Great Circus Train to the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee with Ernest and Tova Borgnine. He was also a member of Rotary International in Milwaukee. Later in his career, he reinvented himself as an owner of a number of businesses including a travel agency.
Stephen was a long time member of St. Anthony on the Lake parish in Pewaukee. There he served as an usher, volunteered at parish festivals and participated in Bible studies.
He enjoyed gardening, reading, kayaking on Pewaukee Lake, coaching youth soccer, playing golf, watching Brewers and Packers games and spending time with his family, especially his grandsons who adored him.
He will be deeply missed by his wife, Judy, his daughter, Diana (Alexis K. La Joie) and son, Brian, and grandsons, Maximilian and Augustin Felsmann La Joie.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at St Anthony on the Lake Catholic Church, W280 N2101 Prospect Ave Pewaukee from 9:30 AM until the 11:00 AM mass with a luncheon to follow. Burial will take place St. Mary’s Cemetery Winona, Minn. In lieu of flowers memorials are appreciated to St. Anthony on the Lake Parish, Pewaukee or Aquinas Academy, Menomonee Falls.