Don Newbauer passed away peacefully during his afternoon nap on July 17, 2026 at the age of 84. He has now joined his wife, Ellen Newbauer, who passed away peacefully in June of 2025.
Don met Ellen, the love of his life, in elementary school. They absolutely adored each other, staying in touch even as they went to separate high schools, with Don often biking through Milwaukee to have dinner with Ellen’s family. They married in 1963 when he was 22 and shared life together for the next 61 years. Throughout each season of their life, through sunshine and rainstorms, they loved and supported each other. Their love is wholeheartedly steadfast, the kind that spans lifetimes, and they had faith they will meet again in the next life. They were one in life and spirit and always will be.
Don was the son of Gilbert and Luella, born in Milwaukee, and the middle of five brothers: Jim, Bill, Larry, and Tom. He was the father of three children: Paul Newbauer, Ann Wallschlaeger, and Scott Newbauer. He was the grandfather of three granddaughters, whom he absolutely adored from day one: Amy Mueller, Kelly Wallschlaeger, and Kate Zurn (married to Jaden Zurn). His granddaughters were always at the forefront of his mind. He would always ask, “How are the girls?” every time Ann visited him, and he would always make sure Jaden promised to take good care of Kate. He was the great-grandfather of two great-grandchildren: Cole Mueller and Erin Mueller. To his granddaughters and great-grandchildren, he was known and deeply loved as, “Papa”.
As a young man, he worked in a bakery; it was hard work, but he enjoyed it. He was such a kind, hard worker, that the baker sincerely wanted Don to marry his daughter, but his heart belonged to Ellen. His early career involved working in a corrugated box company, where he also served as treasurer and chief steward for the local chapter of the International Paper Workers Union. There, he respectfully and diligently stood up for the rights of his fellow workers, giving them a voice when they were too scared to speak for themselves. Ellen always remembered one time in particular, when he insisted a partially deaf colleague be given hearing protection around loud equipment. At the time, the supervisors had not considered this necessary, but Don saw his colleague for the full person he was and recognized the need to protect what hearing he had left.
His next career was driving a semitruck. He named his rig “Brown Betsy”, in which he often slept to save on hotel bills. After 18 years on the road, he became a dispatcher and sent trucks across 48 states. Though he did this well, his favorite way to help remained actually driving the semis. In his final months, he enjoyed watching the trucks come and go from the enormous warehouse across the street from where he was living.
At 53 years old, Don had a massive stroke and lost the use of his left arm and leg. This was a turning point in Don and Ellen’s life. Before this, Don largely supported Ellen through her mental health journey, helping her reach a greater state of internal peace. After this, Ellen largely supported Don through living life with his new physical limitations. They always felt very thankful that when one of them was down, the other was up and able to provide unconditional love and support.
As they arose to this new challenge, Don remained very active thanks to his resilience and Ellen’s dedication. He was a long-time member of the Lions club, serving as president of the Menomonee Falls Lions Club for four years. He and Ellen were members of the Wild Ones, a club that studies native Wisconsin plants and flowers, and had a wildflower area in their yard. He had a vegetable garden for many years, which was made possible through the help of Paul. He loved to play Sheepshead, and he enjoyed all kinds of music, mystery books, action movies, and (much to Ellen’s dismay) all kinds of sports.
Don loved to adventure and celebrate. One of his favorite activities was seeing the fireworks on the Fourth of July and handing out candy on Halloween. For both holidays, he and Ellen would host a small family party at their home and lift everyone’s spirits through their genuine joy for the day. He also loved going to the state fair, for both the food and the sights. Though he was in a wheelchair at the time and too heavy for Ellen to push for long periods of time, her charm and his humor made such excursions possible as strangers would never fail to help them.
Above all, though, Don said he was happiest when he was with his wife, children, and grandchildren. If his family could sum him up in one phrase, it would be a “good-humored gentleman” from the beginning through the end. Here are a handful of stories to give a glimpse of his spirit.
When Don and Ellen were in assisted living together, he would often play Bingo or Plinko. Whenever he would win, as his prize, he would choose her favorite candy and once even bestowed upon her a beautiful pink scarf, which she adored. He did love to give Ellen gifts, such as always giving her flowers on their anniversary - a tradition she loved.
While living in the nursing home, Paul once observed another of his acts of kindness. The staff had handed out treats to the residents at the beginning of their gathering. One woman arrived a little late and was sad she didn’t get a treat. Don took it upon himself to wheel over to the woman and gave her his treat. This small gesture made the woman very happy and shows how Don always tried to recognize and fulfill the needs of others, however he could.
During one of Don’s final visits to the hospital, his family witnessed the jokes and good humor he had with the hospital staff. They asked him, “How do you keep your spirits so high even in circumstances like this?” And he said something along the lines of, “What’s the alternative? Being a grumpy old man? It’s much better to laugh through the hard times.” His unending humor made him many friends along his challenging road and reminded his family to keep their spirits light even in the darkest of times.
Don was a kind and loving man, who had many challenges throughout his life and rose to meet each of them the best he could. We will miss his humor, his thoughtful and uplifting comments, and his expressions of pride in us. We are grateful to have known the love of such a kindhearted man, who we will miss until the end of our days.
To express your condolences, honor Don’s spirit by loving those still with us as he would. Gather the love you have for him and give it to someone else — someone who will smile at the joy of being thought of and cared for. See someone for the full person they are, recognize how they may be in need of something, and do what you can to lighten their burden. Lighten someone’s day through humor, a good game, or a simple act of kindness. Knowing that his parting helped inspire acts that made others feel cared for would make him very happy.
We will gather to honor and be grateful for Don on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at St. John's United Church of Christ (N104 W14181 Donges Bay Road, Germantown, WI 53022). Visitation will be from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, and the service will be held at 3:00pm.
