Frederic Schadewald

Frederic Henry (Fritz), Schadewald, age 84, of Amherst Junction, WI, and Green Valley, AZ, formerly of Richland, MI, passed away peacefully at Banner University Hospital in Tucson, AZ on New Year's Day, 2017, after a very short illness. Fritz was born in the middle of the Great Depression on March 10, 1932, in Stevens Point, WI, and along with his siblings was raised by a single mother after his father died in 1947. Julia instilled in them strong morals, humility and a frugal sensibility. As a boy, Fritz rose to Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts and enjoyed camping at their Sunset Lake camp that now is the site of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Environmental Station. He also spent several summers as a counselor at the camp. Sunset Lake remained a special place for the rest of Fritz's life. He persuaded his parents to buy a lot on the lake and the rustic cottage they built remained a retreat for the extended Schadewald family for many years. After earning a Bachelor degree and an award in Mathematics from UW-Stevens Point, where he was also a four-year varsity basketball player, Fritz enrolled in the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. There he met the girl he wanted to marry, Lois Knaak of Oshkosh, WI. In 1959, after he completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering, Fritz and Lois spent an idyllic summer travelling throughout Europe in a Volkswagen Microbus. They celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary this past June. Fritz enjoyed a long and successful professional career at The Upjohn Company in Portage, MI, designing pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment and processes. Their first home was on Gull Creek in Richland, MI, where they raised three children who remember their dad as playful and loving, delighted to have them "help" rebuild a car engine, hand dig a new septic system, or any number of other "fun" activities. Fritz could build or repair just about anything and taught his children the skills and confidence to do things themselves. After retiring, Fritz and Lois moved back to WI, building a new home on Sunset Lake. The extended family remember lazy summer days at the lake, trips to the nearby Iola car show, and driving around at dusk to look for herds of deer. Retirement also provided Fritz and Lois with ample time to travel, including regular trips to Aspen for skiing and The Bahamas for relaxation with friends and family. Since 1999 they have wintered at their home in Green Valley, AZ, playing golf, sightseeing, and entertaining numerous visitors. Throughout his later years Fritz cherished nothing more than time with his grandchildren and they adored "Poppa." Preceded in death by his parents Henry and Julia (Wyss) and his brother Paul, Fritz is survived by his loving wife Lois, children Stacy Schadewald of Richland, MI, Karl Schadewald (Mary Pikal) of Indianapolis, IN, and Susan Schadewald (Bradley Jackson) of Stoughton, WI, and grandchildren Elise and Lara Harrison, Sophia and Sabrina Schadewald, and Neal and Sadie Jackson. His sister Mary Kline, of Luxemburg, WI, also survives. There will be a graveside service at North New Hope Lutheran Cemetery in Amherst Junction, WI, this summer followed by a gathering of family and friends at Sunset Lake. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in Fritz's name to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission.