Obituary for Robert Gene Ruesch
Bob was officially scratched from the lineup on October 5, 2022, after spending the last few months on the DL. In what must certainly be more than a coincidence, his season ended on the same day as the Brewers’. Bob is now in the heavenly hall of fame and has season tickets to see the angels play; no doubt he will have front row, first-base side tickets with his beloved Bonnie Lee (hopefully the heavenly stadium is dog friendly so he can catch up on snuggles with Snooky, the original “White Cloud Doggie”). He is survived by his three wonderful daughters Becky (Tom) Accetta, Kelly Nickel, and Courtney (Moncef) Ruesch, and his beloved grandchildren Brady and Caroline Accetta, and Christian and Carson Nickel.
Bob was predeceased by his dear wife of 51 years Bonnie Lee (nee Jeka), his brother Tom, and his brother-in-law Paul Jeka, as well as his parents Eugene and Bernice Ruesch, parents-in-law Paul and Ruth Jeka, and his many aunts and uncles.
Bob was fortunate to have a close-knit family and many cousins he could call friends, as well as his sisters-in-law Mary Jeka and Jean Ruesch. He was also lucky to be uncle to Debbie (Lance) Longhenry, Kim Cleppe, Peter (Caryn) Ruesch, and Kristin Bonilla. He was a great (in every sense of the word) uncle to Derrick Jeka, Lauren, Luke, and Aaron Longhenry, Audrey and Miles Ruesch, and Julian and Penelope Bonilla. He is further survived by many friends, from his longtime pals from Our Lady Queen of Peace grade school to his new friends at New Perspective Senior Living in Franklin.
Bob was born in Milwaukee on July 28, 1944, the eldest child of Gene and Bernice Ruesch. Bob grew up in the shadow of Leon’s Frozen Custard on the south side of Milwaukee until his family moved from his grandparents’ house to the new house that his father built just a few miles south on Tuckaway Drive in Greenfield. Bob graduated from Don Bosco High School in 1962 and went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree from UW-Whitewater. After graduating with a degree in education and starting a career in teaching, Bob learned that a parochial schoolteacher’s salary in 1974 was, as he would say, not so hot, so he embarked on a long and prosperous career with Prudential, spanning four decades. Bob had many accomplishments in his life; he was most proud of being named Junior College Coach of the Year in 1977 (as basketball coach at MATC) and for serving the Village of Hales Corners as a Trustee from 1984 until he was elected President in 2007 through his retirement from the Village in 2018. If you went to a Hales Corners Fourth of July parade or car show in the last 40 years, without fail if you caught his eye, you received either a high five or a wave from Bob.
Bob was always quick with a joke, had a smile for everyone, and a nickname for almost everyone. His favorite color was and always will be plaid. It’s impossible to know how to rank the greatest loves in his life (besides his family, of course), but the Top 10 are baseball, coaching, bad jokes, Leon’s, classic cars, sports memorabilia, apple pie, 50s doo wop, popcorn and general goofing around. He will be sorely missed and his family will never be able to refer to an episode of Law and Order without calling it “Dun Dun” or have a Coke without calling it “uh uh.”
Visitation will be held Saturday, November 26, 2022, starting at 9:00 a.m. with a memorial service at noon at Hartson Funeral Home, 11111 West Janesville Road, Hales Corners, WI. A luncheon, with some Leon’s for good measure, will follow after the service, at the Hales Corners Village Hall, 5635 South New Berlin Road, Hales Corners, WI.
In lieu of any financial contributions to the family, please make a donation to the youth sports program of your choice. Nothing would make Bob happier than knowing that some kid somewhere was playing a sport in his memory; as Bob would say, that would be finer than frog’s hair.
Bob was predeceased by his dear wife of 51 years Bonnie Lee (nee Jeka), his brother Tom, and his brother-in-law Paul Jeka, as well as his parents Eugene and Bernice Ruesch, parents-in-law Paul and Ruth Jeka, and his many aunts and uncles.
Bob was fortunate to have a close-knit family and many cousins he could call friends, as well as his sisters-in-law Mary Jeka and Jean Ruesch. He was also lucky to be uncle to Debbie (Lance) Longhenry, Kim Cleppe, Peter (Caryn) Ruesch, and Kristin Bonilla. He was a great (in every sense of the word) uncle to Derrick Jeka, Lauren, Luke, and Aaron Longhenry, Audrey and Miles Ruesch, and Julian and Penelope Bonilla. He is further survived by many friends, from his longtime pals from Our Lady Queen of Peace grade school to his new friends at New Perspective Senior Living in Franklin.
Bob was born in Milwaukee on July 28, 1944, the eldest child of Gene and Bernice Ruesch. Bob grew up in the shadow of Leon’s Frozen Custard on the south side of Milwaukee until his family moved from his grandparents’ house to the new house that his father built just a few miles south on Tuckaway Drive in Greenfield. Bob graduated from Don Bosco High School in 1962 and went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree from UW-Whitewater. After graduating with a degree in education and starting a career in teaching, Bob learned that a parochial schoolteacher’s salary in 1974 was, as he would say, not so hot, so he embarked on a long and prosperous career with Prudential, spanning four decades. Bob had many accomplishments in his life; he was most proud of being named Junior College Coach of the Year in 1977 (as basketball coach at MATC) and for serving the Village of Hales Corners as a Trustee from 1984 until he was elected President in 2007 through his retirement from the Village in 2018. If you went to a Hales Corners Fourth of July parade or car show in the last 40 years, without fail if you caught his eye, you received either a high five or a wave from Bob.
Bob was always quick with a joke, had a smile for everyone, and a nickname for almost everyone. His favorite color was and always will be plaid. It’s impossible to know how to rank the greatest loves in his life (besides his family, of course), but the Top 10 are baseball, coaching, bad jokes, Leon’s, classic cars, sports memorabilia, apple pie, 50s doo wop, popcorn and general goofing around. He will be sorely missed and his family will never be able to refer to an episode of Law and Order without calling it “Dun Dun” or have a Coke without calling it “uh uh.”
Visitation will be held Saturday, November 26, 2022, starting at 9:00 a.m. with a memorial service at noon at Hartson Funeral Home, 11111 West Janesville Road, Hales Corners, WI. A luncheon, with some Leon’s for good measure, will follow after the service, at the Hales Corners Village Hall, 5635 South New Berlin Road, Hales Corners, WI.
In lieu of any financial contributions to the family, please make a donation to the youth sports program of your choice. Nothing would make Bob happier than knowing that some kid somewhere was playing a sport in his memory; as Bob would say, that would be finer than frog’s hair.