Elizabeth "Bo" Black

1946 - 2020

Elizabeth "Bo" Black

2/7/1946-7/24/2020

Elizabeth "Bo" Black, loving mother, grandmother, wife, and long time Executive Director of Milwaukee World Festival, passed away peacefully today at her home in Scottsdale, Arizona surrounded by family and friends. She was 74 years old. Not a wrinkle on her face, she remained a beauty queen though her final moments, inside and out.

Bo was born in St. Louis, MO on February 7, 1946, to late parents Joseph and Betty Mae Bussmann. She grew up in Clayton, MO with her parents, her brother "Bubbie" (Joseph Bussmann, Jr.) and the rest of the very large Bussmann family.

Bo graduated the from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1967. She was a cheerleader, the homecoming queen and was featured on the cover of Playboy in the 1967 Big Ten edition, "fully clothed", as she would always remind us.

Upon graduation from the UW, she moved to Milwaukee, WI with her first husband, William Black, and had her first child, Stephanie (Black) Anderson. She had daughter Kellyn Bussmann Lindemann and Blake Joseph Lindemann with her second husband, Thomas Lindemann.

In 2000, Bo married her current husband and the then Milwaukee Brewers Manager, Tom Trebelhorn. "Treb" was a loving husband and was by her side at the time of her death. Bo always loved her friends and adventures with the MLB.

Bo had some extraordinary achievements in her lifetime. Dedicating herself to others, she started her career raising money for the Multiple Sclerosis Read-a-Thon and continued to volunteer and serve on boards. Bo had a love of theatre and music and had a brief stint as an actress at the Skylight Theater in Milwaukee where she was told that she would be a "better administrator than performer". She often said that comment was the reason she decided to join Summerfest in 1974 and eventually became the Executive Director in 1984. During her time at Summerfest, Bo grew the Fest from a small festival held in temporary tent structures to a beautifully landscaped 90-acre festival park filled with permanent stages and walkways along Lake Michigan and created a legacy where she embraced volunteerism and diversity. She also charted a fearless path for women that has inspired many.

Bo moved to Scottsdale, AZ in 2001 where she continued to build friendships and contribute to her community. She suffered a brain aneurysm in 2007, but never lost her smile, her laughter or her will to live. She will be fondly remembered in her favorite place, her bed, talking to loved ones, watching the News, the Voice or Major League Baseball.

Bo loved music, sports, shopping and raising money for a good cause. She excelled at each of those things, but what she is most known for is being a loyal friend to anyone in a time of need. By her friends and family, Bo will always be remembered for her generosity, her heart, her radiance and her laughter.

Bo is survived by her husband, Tom Trebelhorn, her three children, Stephanie Anderson of Pelham, NY, Kellyn Lindemann of Scottsdale, AZ and Blake Lindemann of Los Angeles, CA., her brother Joseph A. Bussmann, Jr, and her four loving grandchildren, Grace, Jack, Brewer and Brady.

At a future date, there will be a celebration of Bo's life. In the meantime, we encourage you to share your stories and memories of Bo at https://www.forevermissed.com/elizabeth-bo-black/