Rusty Petrie of Mukwonago took one last ride, reaching his final resting place on March 28, 2024, at age 68.
Left to cherish Rusty’s memory are his beloved wife Barb Hockenberry, adored daughters Angela and Jaime Petrie, Barb’s children; daughter Sara (William) Sadowski, sons Adam (Sara), Daniel (Keely), and Joseph Hockenberry, 13 amazing grandchildren, and one beautiful newborn great granddaughter. He will also be deeply missed by brothers Richard (Linda), David Skip, and Andy Petrie, his favorite sister Carole (Steve), as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends he referred to as “brothers from another mother” and “sisters from another mister”.
Rusty was preceded in death by his parents Dave and Alice, brothers Michael and Daniel, and beloved cousin Laurie.
Rusty’s family asks, “How does one write a tribute to an amazing, kind, and humble man?” They begin by sharing what a dedicated and loving dad he was to his beautiful daughters, whom he raised alone…they were his world. Then came the 13 grandchildren whom he considered a gift, cherished, and held very dear to his heart. Barb was Rusty’s true love. She was his girl, he was her guy, and together they built a beautiful life. Theirs was a pure and absolute love, the kind that transcends beyond this earthly life. They found great joy in riding and traveling the United States from the East to the West, up North to down South. Their dream was to hit every state…they got close! This blessing of family didn’t go unnoticed…Rusty was a grateful man and walked by faith.
His heritage and coming from a close-knit family were very important to Rusty. He was exceptionally proud of his annual family reunion that took place in September and lasted an entire weekend. He never missed even one in his 68 years. In his 6-year term on the planning committee, Rusty served as Secretary to President, moving on to the Past Presidents Committee. His family heritage, traced back to the Hackett family, has been celebrated for 144 consecutive years.
With an abundance of deep love for his family and friends, Rusty was a great listener and a comforting shoulder to cry on. He was also the life of the party and trusted leader of the pack, especially when heading up the “Sunday funday” bike runs he planned. Just wanting to share his immeasurable passion for riding with dear friends, Rusty welcomed everyone along, whether on 2 wheels or 4. “Kickstands up at 12:30!” and his familiar drawn-out warning, ”Fiiiiiive minutes!” would bring the pack to their bikes followed by Rusty leading them out. Nobody was ever left behind as he was sure to keep the pack together. Rusty also had the privilege to attend the Sturgis Rally for 40 consecutive years. Extending yet another open invitation, he wanted to share this experience, and the beautiful rides in South Dakota with others. Rusty was no doubt a fantastic tour guide knowing the best rides there, Spearfish Canyon and the “Pigtail” highway being his favorites.
Rusty was also a HUGE Packer fan, never missing a game. He enjoyed going to the Bucks and Brewer games and would often travel to attend NASCAR races. Spending deer hunting season up north with his dad and brothers was very special to him, these were sacred times. His brother’s bar, Richy’s DS, is where you would often find him shooting pool. For years he was an avid dart shooter as well, both at Richy’s and Fox River Inn.
Living his life out loud, he in turn touched the lives of all those he met along the road on this amazing ride.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 4 at 4PM until time of funeral service at 7PM at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, 930 Main St. in Mukwonago. A burial service will be held on Friday, April 5 at 1PM at Rural Home Cemetery, S94 W23480 Forest Home Av. in Big Bend.
In honor of Rusty, Harley Davidson attire is encouraged!
“Oh, take your time, don't live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
You'll find a woman, yeah, and you'll find love
And don't forget son there is someone up above
And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand.”
- lyrics by Lynyrd Skynyrd
