WW II veteran and proponent of lifelong learning, Don Schimmels, 101, passed away last week

Don Schimmels, a WW II veteran and proponent of lifelong learning passed away on Sept. 9, 2020. He was a familiar face on the UW-Green Bay campus, taking classes through his 100th birthday. He was also the subject of many local media reports and was fond of saying  that the secret to his long life is the never-ending learning of new things. In 2019, UW-Green Bay honored him with the Phoenix Hero Award.

Schimmels served in WWII in the U.S. Army Air Corps from November 1940 to November 1945. He was a member of the American Legion Ralph Kline Post 262 in Luxemburg, and the VFW Post 3392 in Kewaunee. He was proud of his service and enjoyed weekly camaraderie with other veterans, sharing stories and memories at Festival Foods at the University Ave. location in Green Bay.

His funeral was Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund will be established in his memory. See the full obituary.