Donald E. Sydow

1934 - 2018

Sydow, Donald E. Born to Eternal Life on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife Sharon (nee Wolff) of 39 years; his children Anita (Tom) Ehmke, Donya (Brian) Baumgartner, Craig (Lama) Stoehr, and Kyle (Jennifer) Stoehr; 11 grandchildren; and his sister Vivian. Preceded in death by his brother Joe. Further survived by his niece, nephews, other relatives, and friends. Visitation will be held from 10 AM until the time of Mass of Christian Burial at 11:45 AM on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at St. Jerome Catholic Church, 995 Silver Lake St, Oconomowoc. Burial to follow at St. Clare's Cemetery in North Lake. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the St. Jerome Parish Debt Reduction Fund are appreciated. Donald was a lifelong resident of Oconomowoc and maintained a residence in Phoenix, AZ for more than 20 years. He went to work early in his youth farming and machining to help support his family. He was an avid sportsman enjoying golf, hunting, ski-jumping and, after completion of his service to the US Army, going on to play football at UW Whitewater. There he helped earn a national championship in 1962 and was awarded All-American honors in 1963. He received a degree in education, briefly taught elementary school, and was recruited in 1964 to be the GM of Oconomowoc Mfg. He purchased the company in 1982 and led it to the time of his retirement in 2014, during which time he received three WI Manufacturer of the Year awards and was honored by President George W. Bush. No accolade was held in in higher regard in his life than the love of his employees, family and friends. He faced every challenge he ever encountered head on without reservation, and his wit and ever-positive outlook were infectious. He was one-of-a kind and loved by many.