A much-loved father, brother, grandfather, and friend, David (Dave) Jeffrey Schleis, 66, passed away the evening of August 2, 2015 at Langlade Hospital in Antigo with family present. He had bravely confronted and fought brain cancer since December 2014.
Dave is survived by his son, Jeffrey (Lindsay) Schleis; his daughter, Kelly Schleis; his sisters, Gale (Tom) Whitener and Donna (Skip) Evans; his brother, Larry (Kim) Schleis; his former wife of 23 years, Catherine; his grandchildren, Cole, Stella, and Isobel Schleis (children of Jeff and Lindsay Schleis); and his nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his twin brother, Steven Schleis, and his mother and father, Daniel and Katheryn (Zirkle) Schleis.
Dave was born on July 17, 1949 in Antigo, WI and worked at his family's feed mill when he was young. He graduated from Antigo High School and later received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Dave began a successful career in pharmaceutical sales for Purdue Frederick and later retired from food service sales.
Our dad loved riding motorcycles and living an adventurous lifestyle. Throughout his life he enjoyed numerous hobbies such as water skiing, downhill skiing, golfing, fishing, and camping. He also liked hunting with his son, his brother Larry, and close friends by his side. He held many accomplishments such as qualifying as a Pro-Marksman in the National Rifle Association and earning his Solo Pilot certification. One of his many joys was having his Bareboat Charter license and sailing the Great Lakes with his friends. He was a great helmsman!
Dave enjoyed a relaxing, early retirement living on Post Lake spending much of his time boating and fishing at his "SPA". He treasured spending time with his family, took great pride in his children, and relationships maintained with many close friends. He loved his dream trip to Costa Rica with his children in April and recently had a wonderful celebration of life with his dear friends and family for his 66th birthday held at his lake home. He will always be remembered for his unique and clever sense of humor, his strong will, and passions for nature and wildlife.
The family strongly encourages online condolences and welcomes friends and family to view the many pictures posted of special memories of Dave's life. Per our father's request, there will not be a memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to www.immermanangels.com, or www.gregsmission.org whom provided valuable support to Dave and his family, or the cancer charity of your choice.
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My family drove our Winnebago from Colorado to Wisconsin to visit the Schleis side of the family when I was maybe 12, and boy did I end up with a crush on my cousin Dave.And of course they took us to the water and water skiing. Anita Reisig (peterson)zirkle and myself send our love to your children David and hope one day to see them.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We will miss the times we spent together, especially the Men's weekends at Post Lake.
Schleis family - I'm so sorry for your loss. For as long as I've known Kelly, I've always known how strong a bond she has with her father. I never had the benefit of meeting Dave, but I know his heart must have been full with love and pride - every day of his life.
Brother Larry, Sister Donna, Dave, and Sister Gale
My dad and I - Always close and always the apple of his eye
Cathy, Dave, and Janet Braun having fun!
Thoughts & prayers to all of you. May your memories give you peace & comfort.
It was a privilege to have met you. Only wish we could have gotten to know you better. My deepest condolences & sympathy to you, Kelly & to the rest of your family. I will continue to keep you all in my thoughts & prayers.
Dave will be missed by many, his easy going way, his kind and generous manner will not be forgotten. My prayers and thoughts to the family. There are many fond memories...
Dave, we miss you so much. All the years we spent raising our children together were such fun! Just to stretch the weekends, every Sunday night we'd get together at your house or ours for a big family dinner. We will always remember those special times.
Dave, you always rose to the occasion of a good party, especially when it meant going back to the 70's!
Thoughts and Prayers go out to you Kelly and your entire family during this difficult time. Please know that I am always here for you anytime.
We miss you!
Jeff, my deepest condolences for you and your family.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time, but the great Memories all of us have of Dave will soon out wieght the hurt and tears.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Kelly and I started out as co-workers but became good friends. I'll never forget meeting Dave for the first time at Kelly's apartment. I don't think I stopped laughing the entire time I was there. He even knew how to make the odd and frustrating times of life hilarious. Kelly and Dave had a special father/daughter connection and they were lucky to have each other. I'm glad I had a chance to meet Dave!
Sending a massive dose of positive energy to Kelly and the Schleis family during this very difficult time.. thinking of you guys, sending all LOVE and positive vibes..
So very sorry for your loss grew up with Gail and remember the brothers giving us lectures of who we dated..R.I.P
We share beautiful children that have made us both proud.They will live on and honor your name with grace and pride. You faced cancer with courage and your own unique humor allowing everyone to see your inner strength. Now, you are with your parents along with Stevie & Christy....walking beside you along to your next journey.
We are so very sorry for your loss. We are keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers.
Our family had the pleasure of spending a few days with Dave, Kelly, and Jeff in Costa Rica. Together we rode horses, paddled through the rain forest, and got to fly above the trees on a zip-line with Dave. While it was such a short time, we were inspired by Dave's thoughtful personality, his sly wit, and his unwavering love and support of Jeff and Kelly. We feel grateful that we had the time we had with Dave and will remember his generous spirit and warm smile always.
I can't believe we are here...The last 8 months seem like some sort of bad dream. Dave was so brave...I admire that so much about him. There is so much that I am going to miss...of course the big stuff; holidays, our children's birthday parties, his 4th of July's...that one is going to be tough...but what I will miss most about Dave are our talks. While the kids would be napping or playing in the yard or by the shore, we would just sit. Usually with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in hand, and just talk. I loved learning about you...your mom, your dad, your twin brother Steve, your friends, stories about how you grew up, stories about Jeff and Kelly when they were little. You would always make time for me. I would always be able to bounce things off of you, from work and my career to raising the kids. You always truly listened before you gave advice and encouragement. I will miss seeing how proud you were of Jeff...how the grand kids, especially Cole, made you so happy. I will miss watching you and Cole drive the boat while listening to "red red wine". I will miss the stories about the "big one" that got away. . . that damn musky, he always got away. I love you Dave. I am so sad that Cole will not get more time with his grand father. But what I can do is be happy for the memories we have, and know they will always be cherished. Cole, Stella and Isobel will know you through us and you will never be forgotten. We love you.
Grand daughter Stella and Grandpa Dave watching the ducks.
Dave inspired me with his love of travel. He allowed me to come on amazing trips with him and I'm his daughter. During these trips, I was able to see what an amazing father and person he was. He will be missed.
So sorry for your loss,you are all in my prayers, godbless!
Peace to your entire family.
Always the life of the party - even 1 year old birthday parties!
So sorry Donna Gail and Larry of your loss. A lot of great memories will keep Dave alive in your heart. Love to all
Jane Kunz Kavanaugh
He will be dearly missed by both of us. We, Ken in spirit, have so many fond memories. Co-worker with Ken at Sysco and all our get-to-gethers. Now
Dave and Ken will be back together again. I will dearly miss both of them. I know they will be having a great time.
Love to both--Ginny
I'm so very sorry for your loss. I can only hope that he and Steve are enjoying a wonderful reunion in heaven. I went to St. Mary's and high school with them, and it seems so wrong to lose your dad at such a young age. Hoping you all find peace.
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