December 15, 2021 – West Bend, WI – Donald (Don) Nowack, 85, of West Bend was called home to his Lord on Saturday December 11, 2021, at his home in West Bend with his wife Alicia at his side.
He was born on March 18, 1936, the son of Alvin and Edna (nee Donath) Nowack in Random Lake, Wisconsin.
Don served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956. On May 17, 1958, Don married Alicia F. Sinnen at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Random Lake. He was a longtime member of the Random Lake Fire Department and was on the water fighting team. After working in car repair in his younger years, Don and Alicia moved to West Bend when he took a job at the Gehl Company where he would work for 38 years.
After retiring in 1999, Don and Alicia took what he called ‘a 20-year vacation’ to Lake Arrowhead, WI. While retired, Don worked on the weed harvesting crew for the Tri-Lakes Management District where he ultimately managed the district for a number of years. Don was a member of Holy Angels Catholic Church in West Bend as well as Sacred Heart in Nekoosa. He was also a 20-year member of the Rome Snow Bandits and held a number of leadership positions including Trail Boss. Don enjoyed golfing, bowling, snowmobiling, manicuring his yard, working in his shop on small engines and any time spent Up North or with his family. Don was known as a great guy with a big laugh.
Survivors include his wife Alicia of 63 years, daughter Lu Ann (Ed) Desteli; son Dennis (Teri) Nowack; son Michael (Tracey) Nowack, grandchildren Edward Desteli, Christopher (Holly) Desteli, Erin Desteli, Brian Nowack, Jamie (Steve) Jeffery, Kim Nowack, Bradley Nowack, Tucker Nowack and Kelsey Nowack. Great-grandchildren Alexa, Cheyenne, Nolan, Parker, Lilliann and Levi, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Don was preceded in death by his infant son John Robert, parents Edna and Alvin Nowack, sister Lois and husband Lawrence Miller, brother Merlin (Butch) and wife Betty Nowack, and in-laws Marcy Schmitz, Laverne Wetor, Norbert Sinnen, Geraldine Schowalter, Roland Sinnen, Jerome Sinnen Jr. and spouses.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, December 17, 2021 at 12 p.m. Noon at Holy Angels Catholic Church in West Bend with Rev. Howard Haase presiding. Burial will follow in Holy Angels Cemetery. The family will greet visitors on Friday, at the church from 10 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Holy Angels Catholic Church or the American Cancer Society.
The Schmidt Funeral Home in West Bend is serving the family.
