IN LOVING MEMORY OF
David
Schleif
December 12, 1927 – May 27, 2024
Obituary
David Edward Schleif
1927 - 2024
David E. Schleif passed away peacefully on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024 in his apartment at The Willows at Cedar Community where he and his wife Mary had been living for 16 months.
David E. Schleif was born to his parents, Walter Schleif and Erna Rusch Schleif on December 12, 1927. The happy event took place at his grandfather William Schleif's farmhouse at Five Corners in the Town of Auburn. Today, the farm is located halfway between Kewaskum and Campbellsport on Highway V. David was christened in the Elmore Reformed Church. His brother Neal soon followed and was also born on the Five Corners farm.
Around 1930 the family moved to West Bend where four more children were added to the family: Philip, Gladys, Ross and Charles. The family eventually moved into their family home at 1028 Hickory Street from which residence they all attended the West Bend Public Schools, graduated, and embarked on their chosen occupations.
David was very studious, and he took a keen interest in music, playing the trumpet in band. He also worked on the school newspaper. He was active in the Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle.
David enlisted in the U. S. Army after graduating from the West Bend High School in 1945. He did some initial advanced training in Houghton, MI, before being transferred to the State of Washington to be trained for the amphibious corps. He drove a small landing craft up and down the coast and he shared the memory of listening to classical music on his portable radio while sitting on Morro Rock in California.
In 1947, David enrolled in the University of Wisconsin in Madison, planning to major in music. By now he was focused on the flute. He spent his junior year abroad in Zurich, Switzerland, studying at the university. He also studied the flute at the conservatory with Andre Jaunet. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music from Madison in 1951 and immediately became a graduate assistant at Ohio University and began working on a masters degree. It was here that he met Mary, and after completing his studies, they were married in December of 1952.
From 1952 to 1954 David taught music and humanities at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. He used the summer to study to be accredited to teach in public school. From 1954 to 1956 he taught Band and Chorus in Fairfax, Missouri, where the couple's oldest son, Paul, was born.
In 1956, David was contacted by West Bend School Superintendent Fred Holt, inviting him to interview for a new position in the music department. The school system was interested in starting a string orchestra program. The program grew successfully, and the rest is history. In the ensuing years four more children joined the family circle: James, Elizabeth, William, and David. As if life weren't busy enough, at this time, David and his friend John DeZutter took on the task of programming a classical music program for the local radio station for two nights a week and Sunday afternoons.
Because of his Junior Year Abroad, David also had a strong German language background. In the school year 1962-63, he took advantage of a government scholarship to study for a year at Kent State University in Ohio to work toward a master's degree in German. The family sublet their house in West Bend and enjoyed a year at Kent State which later gained notoriety during the time of the Vietnam protests. With masters degree in hand, it was back to West Bend where David began teaching German. He eventually returned to music at the urging of Albert Asch who was the head of the music department at the new University of Wisconsin-Washington County. During the last three years of his career in West Bend, Dave taught the advanced German classes and was the orchestra director at the high schools.
David retired in 1989 but not before John Searle invited him to direct a new community band called the River City Irregulars which also spun off a German Band called the Blaskapelle which David directed for many years.
David was a charter member of the Kettle Moraine Symphony under the direction of Albert Asch. He was a past member of the Waukesha Symphony and the Hartford City Band. He was a member of the first All-American Band Masters Band in Chicago. He belonged to the Music Educators National Conference and the Wisconsin String Teachers Association, the National Education Association, the West Bend Education association, the Washington County Retired Educators' Association, and the Wisconsin Retired Educators' Association.
For leisure, the family enjoyed camping in many of the state and national parks. Because of David's connections to friends in Europe and the couple's interest in genealogy, after retirement, Dave and Mary made several memorable trips to discover and be re-united with friends in Europe. The first European trip, however, took place early in their marriage in 1954, when they camped and traveled through six European countries as driver and passenger on a Triumph motorcycle.
In the early 1970's, Dave received one of the Rolf Awards for outstanding teaching and he used the monetary reward as a seed to begin to search for a piece of vacant land on which to camp. In 1975, he found it in Portage County about 7 miles west of Waupaca and south of highway 54. In 1995 a cabin was built, and he enjoyed the challenges and the peace he found there with his family.
In 1994, the family suffered the loss of their son and brother, David, who, at the age of 26 years, had fought a battle with leukemia since the age of three. After this tragedy, David found peace in his music and his Portage County woods.
David will be missed dearly by his wife of 72 years, Mary; children, Paul (Deborah), James (Beverly), Elizabeth Schleif and William (Laurie); grandchildren, Mitchell (Jennifer), Erin Schleif, Cyrus (Stevie Koepp) Roat, Meredith (Eric Buck) Roat, Eliana Schleif, Lucas Gleason Lang and Ashely (Matt) Ingish; great-grandchildren, Burton, Hazel, Evie, Cooper and Kinlee; brother Neal (Evelyn "Tooty"); cousins, Tom (Joni) Schleif, Judy Price, Janet Schuster and Sharon Thomas; and dear friends Meg Rediess and Tony LaPenna. He is further survived by other relatives and friends.
David is preceded in death by his cherished son David; his parents; and his siblings, Phillip, Gladys, Ross and Charles.
A Memorial Service will be at 2:00pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at the Phillip Funeral Home Chapel (1420 W Paradise Dr. West Bend, WI 53095) with his son presiding, Pastor James Schleif. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Wednesday, June 5th from 12:00pm until 1:45pm. Private Family Interment with Military Honors will be at Washington County Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Partners in Caring @ Cedar Community Foundation, West Bend COLUMNS Scholarship, MACC Fund, The Bend Theatre and North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO).
A sincere thank you to the staff of Cedar Community at the Willows and Commonheart Hospice for their care and compassion.
1927 - 2024
David E. Schleif passed away peacefully on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024 in his apartment at The Willows at Cedar Community where he and his wife Mary had been living for 16 months.
David E. Schleif was born to his parents, Walter Schleif and Erna Rusch Schleif on December 12, 1927. The happy event took place at his grandfather William Schleif's farmhouse at Five Corners in the Town of Auburn. Today, the farm is located halfway between Kewaskum and Campbellsport on Highway V. David was christened in the Elmore Reformed Church. His brother Neal soon followed and was also born on the Five Corners farm.
Around 1930 the family moved to West Bend where four more children were added to the family: Philip, Gladys, Ross and Charles. The family eventually moved into their family home at 1028 Hickory Street from which residence they all attended the West Bend Public Schools, graduated, and embarked on their chosen occupations.
David was very studious, and he took a keen interest in music, playing the trumpet in band. He also worked on the school newspaper. He was active in the Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle.
David enlisted in the U. S. Army after graduating from the West Bend High School in 1945. He did some initial advanced training in Houghton, MI, before being transferred to the State of Washington to be trained for the amphibious corps. He drove a small landing craft up and down the coast and he shared the memory of listening to classical music on his portable radio while sitting on Morro Rock in California.
In 1947, David enrolled in the University of Wisconsin in Madison, planning to major in music. By now he was focused on the flute. He spent his junior year abroad in Zurich, Switzerland, studying at the university. He also studied the flute at the conservatory with Andre Jaunet. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music from Madison in 1951 and immediately became a graduate assistant at Ohio University and began working on a masters degree. It was here that he met Mary, and after completing his studies, they were married in December of 1952.
From 1952 to 1954 David taught music and humanities at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. He used the summer to study to be accredited to teach in public school. From 1954 to 1956 he taught Band and Chorus in Fairfax, Missouri, where the couple's oldest son, Paul, was born.
In 1956, David was contacted by West Bend School Superintendent Fred Holt, inviting him to interview for a new position in the music department. The school system was interested in starting a string orchestra program. The program grew successfully, and the rest is history. In the ensuing years four more children joined the family circle: James, Elizabeth, William, and David. As if life weren't busy enough, at this time, David and his friend John DeZutter took on the task of programming a classical music program for the local radio station for two nights a week and Sunday afternoons.
Because of his Junior Year Abroad, David also had a strong German language background. In the school year 1962-63, he took advantage of a government scholarship to study for a year at Kent State University in Ohio to work toward a master's degree in German. The family sublet their house in West Bend and enjoyed a year at Kent State which later gained notoriety during the time of the Vietnam protests. With masters degree in hand, it was back to West Bend where David began teaching German. He eventually returned to music at the urging of Albert Asch who was the head of the music department at the new University of Wisconsin-Washington County. During the last three years of his career in West Bend, Dave taught the advanced German classes and was the orchestra director at the high schools.
David retired in 1989 but not before John Searle invited him to direct a new community band called the River City Irregulars which also spun off a German Band called the Blaskapelle which David directed for many years.
David was a charter member of the Kettle Moraine Symphony under the direction of Albert Asch. He was a past member of the Waukesha Symphony and the Hartford City Band. He was a member of the first All-American Band Masters Band in Chicago. He belonged to the Music Educators National Conference and the Wisconsin String Teachers Association, the National Education Association, the West Bend Education association, the Washington County Retired Educators' Association, and the Wisconsin Retired Educators' Association.
For leisure, the family enjoyed camping in many of the state and national parks. Because of David's connections to friends in Europe and the couple's interest in genealogy, after retirement, Dave and Mary made several memorable trips to discover and be re-united with friends in Europe. The first European trip, however, took place early in their marriage in 1954, when they camped and traveled through six European countries as driver and passenger on a Triumph motorcycle.
In the early 1970's, Dave received one of the Rolf Awards for outstanding teaching and he used the monetary reward as a seed to begin to search for a piece of vacant land on which to camp. In 1975, he found it in Portage County about 7 miles west of Waupaca and south of highway 54. In 1995 a cabin was built, and he enjoyed the challenges and the peace he found there with his family.
In 1994, the family suffered the loss of their son and brother, David, who, at the age of 26 years, had fought a battle with leukemia since the age of three. After this tragedy, David found peace in his music and his Portage County woods.
David will be missed dearly by his wife of 72 years, Mary; children, Paul (Deborah), James (Beverly), Elizabeth Schleif and William (Laurie); grandchildren, Mitchell (Jennifer), Erin Schleif, Cyrus (Stevie Koepp) Roat, Meredith (Eric Buck) Roat, Eliana Schleif, Lucas Gleason Lang and Ashely (Matt) Ingish; great-grandchildren, Burton, Hazel, Evie, Cooper and Kinlee; brother Neal (Evelyn "Tooty"); cousins, Tom (Joni) Schleif, Judy Price, Janet Schuster and Sharon Thomas; and dear friends Meg Rediess and Tony LaPenna. He is further survived by other relatives and friends.
David is preceded in death by his cherished son David; his parents; and his siblings, Phillip, Gladys, Ross and Charles.
A Memorial Service will be at 2:00pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at the Phillip Funeral Home Chapel (1420 W Paradise Dr. West Bend, WI 53095) with his son presiding, Pastor James Schleif. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Wednesday, June 5th from 12:00pm until 1:45pm. Private Family Interment with Military Honors will be at Washington County Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Partners in Caring @ Cedar Community Foundation, West Bend COLUMNS Scholarship, MACC Fund, The Bend Theatre and North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO).
A sincere thank you to the staff of Cedar Community at the Willows and Commonheart Hospice for their care and compassion.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of David Schleif, please visit our flower store.
Services
Visitation
June
5
Phillip Funeral Home Chapel
12:00 - 1:45 pm
Memorial Service
June
5
Phillip Funeral Home Chapel
Starts at 2:00 pm
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