Angeline Mary Opsahl

Angie bravely battled leukemia and its complications for three years. She fought with strength, determination and positivity throughout it all. Her will to live inspired all of us who were a part of her journey.

Friday, July 12, after the decision was made to transition to comfort care, people started coming to her room to say goodbye. It actually started to take on the atmosphere of one of her infamous parties. One of her last chances to host. By evening, the party guests had hugged each other and said their personal and heartfelt goodbyes to her. She cleaned up one last time and called it a night - and a life.

Angeline ("call me Angie") Mary Opsahl was born on June 5, 1951, in the Town of Lisbon, Wisconsin to John and Genevieve (Rankin) Opsahl. She loved to bake and cook. More importantly, she loved to share her culinary creations with others. She always wanted to explore what life had to offer, whether through travel or music or festivals or museums. She could be raw and unfiltered, a diamond in the rough. She was unapologetic about that. But Angie was always compassionate and giving to people and animals alike. She regarded anyone she let into her life to be family. She dedicated her career to nonprofit work. She made a difference in the lives of many of the children she worked with professionally over the years, her nieces and nephews, even the neighborhood kids. She treated them with dignity and respect and made them aware of their worth. She may not have always been able to sway their opinions, but she at least got them thinking. Most people she came in contact with admired her strength, her positivity, her balls. She was always there for the underdog. She didn't show pity. Pity would have implied she was better than they were. Rather she offered whatever support they might have needed to help lift themselves up.

Angie is survived by her soulmate, Carl Listle; three sisters - Moneen (Vernon) Bethea, Cheryl (Jerome) Maas, and Fay (Michael) Lewis; two step-sisters - Mary (Roger) Armstrong and Sue Marzo (Dan Seefeld); her mother-in-law, Sandra Listle; four brothers-in-law - Kevin Listle, Steven (Mary Jane) Listle, Daniel (Pamela) Listle, and Joseph (Lisa) Listle; four sisters-in-law - Patricia (Mark) Kamin, Mary (David) Krueger, Susan Listle, and Barbara (William) Gerfin; and a special sister-out-law, Patricia Listle; and many nieces, nephews, greats and great greats. She is also survived by many, many of her chosen family. And her canine companion, Ruthie.

Her Spirit lives on in each and every one of them.

Special thanks to all the caregivers whose lives she touched throughout the past couple years, especially Jamie.

There will be no funeral service. Rather, she will host one last party later this year for family - both traditional and chosen - to celebrate a life well lived.

Angie was generous to a fault. There were many nonprofit organizations that were dear to her. Below are a few of them. If you are so inclined, please keep one or more in mind when considering charitable donations.

Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) https://madacc.org/

Wisconsin Humane Society https://www.wihumane.org/

Feeding America https://feedingamericawi.org/

Milwaukee Rescue Mission https://milmission.org/

Leukemia And Lymphoma Society https://www.lls.org/

Courage MKE https://couragemke.org/

Also, please consider donating blood products https://www.versiti.org/ and registering to donate bone marrow. https://bethematch.org/

Perform a random act of kindness. Pay it forward. How ever you choose to honor and remember Angie, know that in that act you have chosen to keep her Spirit alive.