Obituaries & Guestbook

Silas VanderWeele, age 49, of Sheboygan passed away unexpectedly from a medical condition on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. He was born August 31, 1973, in Sheboygan to David and Ann (Erdmann) Vander Weele. Silas was a 1992 graduate of Sheboygan Falls High School. He furthered his education at Lakeshore Technical College and earned a Human Resources Management degree. He was employed at SACO Polymers for the past nine years, where he started off in research and development, then was promoted to production supervisor.
Early on, Silas found a passion for writing and continually practiced writing throughout his life. Silas also loved going on motorcycle rides with his son Dylan, playing chess with his daughter Carly, and going to concerts with his daughter Jadyn. Silas and his fiancé Dana enjoyed thrifting together throughout various areas in Wisconsin and during their travels. He started a business on eBay to sell the unique treasures they found. Silas enjoyed staying active outdoors. It didn’t matter what time of year it was, he loved hiking and being out in nature. In the summer, him and his fiancé could often be found kayaking, as he had a strong draw toward lakes and bodies of water. Camping with his children early on was always a fond memory, as it brought together two of the things he loved most: his children and nature. Silas was an avid golfer and loved to play with his father, brother, daughter, and his best friend Tony. For several years, he was a chess club leader for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church students.
Silas had such a zest for life. His happiness and excitement was absolutely infectious. He had a strong love of traveling and going on new adventures. One of his favorite adventure spots was Sedona, Arizona. He firmly believed that everybody needs to experience the magic of Sedona.
Silas was dedicated to giving back to the community and served as an alderman in Sheboygan for three terms, where he was instrumental in finding the permanent location for the new police station. He also volunteered and served on the board for Habitat for Humanity ReStore, where he was active in bringing ReStore to Plymouth.
As a proud father and grandfather, he cherished his time with his three children Dylan, Carly and Jadyn, and his grandchildren Easton and Ingrid. He was an active volunteer in his children’s schools, and especially enjoyed helping run the Packer stand fundraiser at Lambeau Field. He was a Cubmaster for three years for his son’s troop. He shares special memories with each of his children, including, frequently biking and playing frisbee golf with Dylan, going to the Renaissance Fair with Jadyn, and watching Carly’s volleyball and basketball games.
His family will always remember Silas for his sense of humor and creative storytelling abilities. He had the biggest and kindest of hearts and would do anything to help a friend or family member. He was a “fixer” and always wanted to make everyone around him happy–and somehow always managed to do so. There was never a single thing he would not do for those he loved. He truly had the most beautiful heart and soul.
Survivors include his fiancé Dana Hill of Sheboygan, son Dylan VanderWeele of Kiel, daughters Carly VanderWeele and Jadyn VanderWeele both of Sheboygan, grandchildren Easton and Ingrid VanderWeele, father David (Jean) Vander Weele of Sheboygan, mother Ann Boll of Howards Grove, brothers and sisters Holly (Kiel) Pohl of Madison, Jason (Tanya) Vander Weele Sheboygan, Renee (Matthew) Gonzalez of Sheboygan, Erin Vander Weele (Dylan Roelke) of Middleton, step father Gary Baris of Sheboygan, and mother of his children, Jodi.
Silas was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Julius and Helen Vander Weele, maternal grandparents Wilma and Carl Erdmann and a stepfather Rob Boll.
Family and friends may gather at the Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12th Street, Sheboygan on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. There will be a time for sharing memories and stories at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.reinboldfh.com. Silas’ last selfless act was giving the gift of life through tissue donation.