Richard Arnold SCHREIBER's Obituary
Richard A. Schreiber, (Dick), passed away on Friday, March 26, 2021. He was born to George & Verna (Weisgerber) Schreiber, on March 17th, 1929. He attended local schools & graduated from Oshkosh Central High School in 1947. After high school, he enlisted & proudly served our country in the Navy reserves. On June 24, 1950 he married Joan E. Monday, the love of his life & partner for 70 years.
Dick was a casualty of Covid-19. Although not actually sucumming from the illness itself, the year-long effects of being sheltered from family and friends, lack of exercise, and lack of mental stimulation was more than his 92-year-old body and mind could withstand. After his stroke in 2018, he never gave up fighting. Despite it taking the use of his dominant right side and impairing his speech, he continued to work at keeping his muscles loose and his mind active. Always believing he could fully recover. He was an inspiration to all who knew him.
Dick’s heart was full of love and kindness for all, always willing to help out anyone in need. Nothing brought him more joy than seeing the expression on one’s face after he presented them with one of his famous Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin Badgers or Milwaukee Brewers log cabin bird houses, benches, or mailboxes. By special request, he’d even create one with a competitive team logo, if it meant making someone happy. He truly was a jack of all trades; carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc., there was nothing Dad couldn't fix! He was ‘self-taught’ in all of these trades, decades before computers & ‘Youtube’ videos were available.
Dad had a calming demeanor. As a quiet, humble man, he preferred to let his actions speak louder than his words. When he did speak, everyone listened. He was the king of one liners and loved making others laugh. He loved his wife, children and grandchildren more than life itself. He was our biggest fan in whatever activity we chose to participate.
After retiring, he enjoyed walking, biking, dumpster diving for aluminum cans, and just all around “junking” & they were all part of his daily routine. He was so well known on his routes, that local businesses would call him to pick up their aluminum cans or leave them “out back”, for him to pick up on his early morning rounds. Occasionally, someone would stop him during his rounds & ask him about the cans. He’d look them straight in the eye, hold up a can & say, “That’s one more share of Texaco”! He’d save & use his “can money” to put gas in his pick up truck, never having to dip into his hard earned funds. He refurbished and brought back to life, dozens of items that he picked from the curbsides. “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure” certainly rang true for dad! He was a true environmentalist . . . years prior to being what it is known for today. Dad recycled, reused over and over again, and breathed new life into things in which others found no value. He always said “Waste not, want not” and that is how he lived his life.
Dad taught us all the importance of a strong work ethic & value of a good education. He co-owned a bakery for many years and enjoyed baking treats & homemade bread for our family . . . eight loaves at a time! In 1967, he left the bakery & worked as a machinist at Rockwell International (The Axle). He retired from there at the age of 62, then worked part-time at Wittman Field Airport for the next 18 years, retiring from there at the age of 80.
Raising seven children, along with our mother, was no easy feat. In addition to his main occupation, he often worked several part-time jobs, early mornings, late nights and weekends just to make sure our needs were met. We always had just what we needed. Never more, never less, but always an abundance of love and support. Even after he retired, dad stuck to a daily routine which included setting goals for himself each day. He taught us to be grateful for what we had, to always give 110%, to be kind to others, and to never ever expect anything in return. A picture hung in his room that said “in a world where you can be anything in life, just be kind”. Throughout his entire life, he emulated kindness.
He leaves behind the love of his life and partner, his wife, Joan; his 7 children Lynn (Jim) Laviolette, Oshkosh; Paul Schreiber (Judy Schreiber), Oshkosh; Neil Schreiber, Oshkosh; Craig Schreiber, Santa Monica, CA; Terry Schreiber-Stromme (Mark Stromme), Oshkosh; Scott Schreiber, Oshkosh; and Becky (Dave) Pethan, Sheboygan. His grandchildren, Tom (Sari) LaViolette, Cory (Susan) Schreiber and Aron Schreiber, Patrick (Michelle) Stromme & Annah Stromme (Jake Jirschele), Richard (Tiffany) Schreiber & Sarah (Paul) Heesch, Philip and Elliot Pethan. He is also survived by 4 great-granddaughters, 4 great-grandsons; his brother, Bruce (Risa) Schreiber; in-laws, Caroline Schreiber, Bill (Olga) Monday, Judy Monday-Case, Gary (Linda) Monday, several nieces and nephews, other relatives, friends & neighbors. (What a wonderful neighborhood we were privy to grow up in)!
He was preceded in death by his parents, George & Verna Schreiber, his brother, Bob Schreiber, his in-laws; Harold & Catherine Monday, David (Mary) Monday, Danny (Marlene) Monday, Kay Monday.
In lieu of actually listing names & possibly forgetting some, our family extends our deepest gratitude to Dad’s most favorite caregivers. You (and our family), know who you are. The dignity you treated him with, your kindness & compassion will never be forgotten & we cherish you in our hearts.
Because of Holy Week restrictions, Dick’s funeral will be held on Sat. April 10th, 2021 at St. Jude Parish (Sacred Heart site), with his funeral Mass starting at noon. Masks & social distancing are required. Immediately following, the family will proceed to the cemetery. There will be NO luncheon, due to Covid restaurant restrictions.
A memorial is being established in his name.
Rest in peace, Dick / Dad … until we meet again.
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