Margadette M. Demet

A prominent attorney, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who set a stellar example of community service for generations of lawyers following in her footsteps, died peacefully in Milwaukee on Aug. 29.

Demet, who lived nearly her entire adult life on the East Side, celebrated her 96th birthday earlier in August with her large extended family at the Milwaukee Catholic Home where she served as board president in the 1980s. She resided at the home for a few months after living at The Newport cooperative on Prospect Avenue for more than a quarter-century.

Ambitious, energetic, and fiercely self-reliant, Demet pursued her career and personal aspirations while nurturing her life-long commitment to helping those less fortunate than herself.  Through her words and deeds, she proved that it truly is possible for a woman to have it all: faith, family, community service and career.

In a legacy spanning about 75 years, Demet broke through the glass ceiling to become one of the few women attorneys of her generation in Milwaukee. Although mastering many legal specialties as a partner of Demet & Demet, located in downtown Milwaukee, she often chose to handle challenging court-appointed or pro-bono cases involving family law and performed civil weddings over the years.

She served without compensation in leadership positions and on the boards of the Ascension Wisconsin Foundation and many other charitable organizations throughout the years. The Milwaukee Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin and Marquette University are among the many organizations that bestowed awards for service and achievement to Demet. Former Milwaukee Mayor John Q. Norquist signed a proclamation declaring January 19, 1999, as Margadette Demet Day in Milwaukee.

God and family were foremost in her heart and mind. A devout Roman Catholic, Demet was a parishioner at St. Robert Catholic Parish and participated in Ignatian Associates in addition to supporting many other faith-based organizations.  Her TV usually was tuned to religious programming, rosaries were twisted around bedposts and she had a life-size statue of Mary in front of a kneeler in her apartment.

She was married to the love of her life, Francis “Frank” Demet, an attorney and WWII veteran, in 1954 and they embarked on a journey of personal and professional partnership that spanned nearly 40 years until his death in 1993. The couple fulfilled their dream of having a large family as they became the parents of eight children who were raised mainly in a Georgian-style home on Summit Avenue and then in a house on Wyoming Place across from St. Mary’s Water Tower. The unwavering support of her husband helped Demet achieve so much in her lifetime.

They were strict but loving parents who sent their children to Roman Catholic schools and set the example as they encouraged high achievement and good moral character. The couple contributed their time and talents to their children’s academic, sports and other extracurricular activities.

Gregarious and the life of every party, Demet opened her heart and home to countless relatives, friends, clients and acquaintances over the decades by hosting lavish celebrations on Wyoming Place. The first to call when help or comforting words were needed, Demet was known for befriending her clients, being exceptionally welcoming to strangers and cultivating life-long friendships.

Always on the move, Demet volunteered for many community organizations and was the longest living member of the Milwaukee Athletic Club. As a supporter of the arts, she was a longtime season ticket holder at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She was an avid reader whose home in The Newport had more books than some libraries.

Although an excellent cook, she enjoyed going out to eat and trying different restaurants with family and friends.

In recent years, Demet most cherished spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Born in 1927 to Thomas and Margaret Moffatt in Pontiac, Ill., Margaret Bernadette Moffatt was nicknamed Margadette because it was an easier name for her disabled sister, Mary Elizabeth, to pronounce.  Demet grew up in Dwight, Ill., where she excelled at academics from an early age and graduated from high school before learning to speak fluent Spanish while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. Demet competed with seasoned veterans of WWII while studying at Marquette University Law School where she attained a law degree in 1950. Early in her professional career, she worked for Milwaukee Gas light Company, now known as Wisconsin Gas Company (We Energies).

Shortly after their marriage, the couple established Demet & Demet. After her husband died 30 years ago and his visitation was held at the family home on Wyoming Place, Margadette accelerated her career at a time when many other contemporaries were retiring. Currently, the firm flourishes under the leadership of their son, Donal.

She is survived by four daughters, Maura Grunlund (Mark), Kerry Crivello (Matthew), Brigid Williamson and Deirdre Barry (Michael), and four sons, Donal (Mary), Michael (Jeannie), Barry and Kevin (Mary Jane), and 26 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, sister and husband, Demet is predeceased by a son, Sean, grandsons Patrick Demet and Samuel Grunlund, and granddaughter Colleen Demet.

Visitation will take place on Saturday, September 16, from 9:00AM to 11:00AM, at St. Robert Catholic Church, 2200 E. Capitol Dr., Shorewood WI 53211. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00AM. Prior to Mass, a family eulogy will take place. The Mass will be live streamed. Interment will take place immediately following at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations could be sent to St. Robert Catholic Parish in Shorewood.