Obituaries & Guestbook

On Sunday, November 14th, surrounded by love of family, Donald R. Gottschalk, 85, crossed the bridge, took hold of God’s hand and was reunited with his beloved wife Lori.
Don was born in Sheboygan and was the son of Edward Donald and Ruth (Wilbert) Gottschalk. His first job after graduating from North High in 1955, was at Red Owl, where he met and fell in love with his soul mate, Lori. By November 10th, 1956 they were married and their love blossomed and radiated.
While their family grew to include Debra, David and Douglas, Lori remained the center of Don’s world. They embraced life together to include lots of day trips to Long Lake swimming and fishing, which led to the purchase of their cottage up North on Deer Lake, where many, many family memories were made.
As the time went by, they also traveled down south for many years to visit their son, David and his family and to enjoy the warmth and sunshine which Don found so therapeutic from so many years in the cooler at Old Wisconsin.
Don lived his faith. Every day was a gift and blessing to treasure. He embraced life and all the people he met and friendships he made along the way. He was often quoted as saying, “God gave me two ears and one mouth’. People gravitated to him because he listened with his heart and offered wisdom only when asked for it and never judged you. Don and his dog, Misty, had a following at the trailer park of many widowed ladies much to the chagrin of Lori. Everyone knew him as “Misty’s Dad”.
Upon retiring from Old Wisconsin Sausage where he was a dedicated employee for 35 plus years, he was a weiner maker at heart and kept Old Wisconsin in business with his reputation for spreading Fat Freddies to everyone he met.
Don enjoyed the simple things in life, absolutely adored all babies, loved his children and grandchildren as they all held a very, very special place in his heart, but his world, his breath and very life was our Mom, Lori.
He always paid his way, tried to find the humor in everyday things which usually had to do with being a “Gottschalk”. Don will be remembered for his heart-to-heart talks, dispensing of his life stories and wisdom, reminiscing over a cocktail or two during happy hour, counting his blessings, his faith, and witnessing the faith of all his children, his unconditional love and his quiet strength.
Don is survived by his children, Debra (Roy) Levan, David (Diane) Gottschalk and Douglas (Amanda) Gottschalk. His grandchildren, Daniel, Sheantae, Chaise, Christopher, Josiah, Hezekiah, Titus, Michaela, Kaylan and Kaleb, including 10 great-grandchildren. His brother-in- law Vincent “Mickey” (Ann) Lubenow of Fort Collins, CO and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lori, his parents, Edward Donald and Ruth Gottschalk, his in laws, Vincent and Cecelia Lubenow and brother-in-law Jerry Lubenow and his wife Joanie.
Don’s family wishes to thank all the nurses and aides at Sharon S. Richardson, who provided comfort, dignity and compassion during his journey. Bless your hearts! We, his family are eternally grateful to each and every one of you. The care and support provided comfort to our hearts. Thank you also for all the nurses and aides that cared for him during his stay at Aurora Memorial Hospital with a special thank you to Molly who heard our hearts and had compassion to help make his last days as comfortable as possible and surrounded by family. God bless you!
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice or to Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization, 1251 Geele Avenue, Sheboygan. A private celebration of life will be held.