Cecilia Angela Risch

Cecilia Angela Risch, 28, Chicago, Illinois, died of pneumonia on January 5th, 2026.

She was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin on July 17, 1997 to Robert Charles Risch, Jr. and Andrea Christine Risch. She was the third child born into the family, with older sisters Amanda Christine Dueck and Jessica Gabriele Andersen, and younger brother Robert Charles Risch, III.

Ceci was a light to the world from the moment she was born. As a small child Ceci was kind and shy. She was terrified of thunderstorms and loved collecting ladybugs. She often saw angels in her dreams. Above all, she loved playing with her brother and sisters and was the center of a tight-knit and loving family.

When Ceci was five, the Risch family moved to Brookfield where she attended Brookfield Elementary School. She spent her summer days playing tennis and swimming at Western Raquet Club and in her Oma and Opa's pool. She spent her summer evenings playing night games on Dorchester Court with all the neighborhood kids. She got her first pet, a cat named Pepper, whom Ceci loved very dearly. She continued to love animals throughout her life.

As Ceci got older, she blossomed into a beautiful and confident young woman. She attended Wisconsin Hills Middle School and then Brookfield Central High School. She was a natural born leader who participated in many extracurricular activities. She ran track, was voted by her peers to be on the homecoming court, was president of German club, was named a Wisconsin Leader of Tomorrow, and graduated with honors, among many other activities.

Cheerleading was the anchor of her time in High School. Ceci was the third in the family to captain the Cheerleading team, and she was the most talented. She took the team to new heights, competing at the national competition in Orlando, Florida.

She then went on to attend University of Wisconsin, Madison where she majored in Strategic Communications. While there, she again followed in family tradition and was the fourth in her family to join Delta Gamma Sorority. She continued to be a badger fan and proud Wisconsinite for the duration of her life.

Ceci felt especially tied to her Irish heritage. During her junior year in college, she studied abroad in Galway, Ireland. She loved the Irish pubs, the herds of sheep and hiking the rolling Irish hills.

After graduation, Ceci moved to Chicago and had a successful career in marketing. While living there, she adopted a black cat named Binx, who loved and protected Ceci fiercely.

Throughout her life, Ceci built a community of people around her. Her fun-loving, sassy personality earned her many friends and admirers, and she was a devoted friend in return. She was supportive and understanding, a patient listener and crafted many handmade gifts for others. She spent her weekends traveling to visit her friends and sisters.

In 2022, Ceci was thrilled to become an aunt and was affectionately known as "Tante Ceci". She was godmother to her first niece, Katherine Christine Dueck and then went on to have two other nieces: Andrea Lucille Dueck and Daphne Gabriele Andersen. She was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her first nephew in April. Ceci's childlike spirit made her the favorite aunt. She spent hours coloring, painting nails and reading books with her nieces.

In her short time on earth, Ceci impacted so many people. She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, aunt and friend. She was deep-feeling and empathetic. She lived her life fully. She danced, sang, cried, laughed, played, traveled and cared for those around her. She was ripped from the world too quickly, and she has left a hole that can never be filled. Ceci will never be forgotten by those that knew her.

Ceci was preceded in death by her namesake grandmother Cecilia Risch, paternal grandfather Robert Charles Risch, Sr., maternal grandmother Gabriele Angela Schroeder, maternal grandfather Hans Heinz Schroeder and her cousin Patrick Alan Martin.

A gathering to celebrate her life will take place on Friday, January 9th from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at O'Donoghue's Irish Pub, 13225 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove, WI 53122 ~ parking is available across the street at the Town Bank. Her funeral will be on Saturday, January 10th at St. John Vianney Catholic Parish, 1755 N Calhoun Road, Brookfield, WI 53005; the visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the eulogy at 11:45 a.m. followed by the Mass of Christian Burial and then reception at Western Raquet Club. Private burial at Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations will be used to create the Cecilia Risch Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Outstanding Cheerleader.