Obituary of Iris Schwab

Iris Louise Schwab of Waukesha died Friday August 30, 2013, at Waukesha Memorial Hospital at the age of 79. Iris was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 48 years Harold "Hal" Schwab. She was the loving mother of Mark (Pam) of Atlanta; Theresa (Sebastian) Bednarek of Madison and Paul (Brenda) of Whitefish Bay and proud grandma of Marlaina, Ryland, Marissa, Easton and Lauren. Iris is further survived by brother Eugene Heldt and sister-in-law Marie Ely. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Iris was preceded in death by her parents Herman and Alice Heldt. Fiercely loyal to family and friends, Iris was an unwavering advocate for those in her life she felt needed the help of an additional voice. While she gladly ceded the limelight to others, she worked tirelessly behind the scenes to support individuals and causes she believed in. Iris had an unbending commitment to fairness and integrity and ingrained in her children a deep-seated belief in the importance of honesty. She was a woman of strong faith and a member of the St. Williams Catholic Parish. Her integrity and strong work ethic served her well in her many years as an executive secretary at Bank One. Born and raised in Beecher, IL, Iris lived almost her entire adult life in Wisconsin. Her strength of character and the quiet example she set will continue to serve as an inspiration for her children and the many who knew her. Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday September 4, at Cesarz, Charapata & Zinnecker Funeral Home, 237 N. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha. A second visitation continues from 9:30 a.m. until the 10:30 a.m. funeral Mass on Thursday, Sept. 5 at St. William Catholic Church, 440 N. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha. The Rev. Curt Frederick will be officiating. Interment will immediately follow at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Iris' name may be directed to the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association. Our special thanks to Dr. Wittman, Dr. Wynsen and the staff of Waukesha Memorial Hospital.