Fauk, Jean

Other Events:

• Obituary: 4 May 2016; APC

Notes:

Obituary:
Jean (Fauk) Blahnik, 73, a lifelong resident of Appleton, passed away May 1 at St. Elizabeth Hospital.
As one of eight sisters, she grew up with a close-knit family in a tightly packed house on Superior Street. Jean attended St. Therese School before graduating from Appleton High School in 1960. A decade later, while raising two children on her own, she put herself through college while working a full-time job. Jean graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She worked at UW-Fox Valley and UW-Oshkosh before spending 20 years in the Human Resources department at Park View Health Center.
Jean cherished trips to warm-weather destinations with her sisters, and through Wisconsin's cold winters she kept the memories warm with her collections of seashells and dolphin mementos. Though chronic diseases eventually limited her ability to travel, she went everywhere through her books. Jean was a voracious reader who developed vast knowledge in many subjects. She was an avid student of history and religion, but her favorite genres were novels and mysteries - Jean was a member of The Fiction Club, Appleton's longest-running book club. She was a wizard with words, and rare was the crossword clue that could confound her.
Her family is grateful that Jean shared with them her quick wit, warm personality, and generous heart. But her children regret that Jean did not pass along any of her stalwart bowling skills (she once carried a league average near 180) or bridge-playing acumen (she was a fixture for decades in several bridge clubs).
Jean is very much loved by her family and will be missed by her beloved daughter, Shelly (Shem) Spiegel of Appleton; son Mike (Amy) Blahnik of Stamford, CT; sisters Jackie (Cliff) Holcomb of Greenville, Judy (Tom) Verkuilen of Winneconne, Jerry (Tom) Scannell of Muskego, Joy Fauk of Menasha, Jenny (Keith) Bloemendaal of Frisco, TX, and Jill (Pat) Seeger of Estero, FL; brother-in-law Don Day of Waterloo, IA; numerous nieces and nephews; and former husband Dave (Jo) Blahnik of Manistique, MI. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Veronica (Boehme) Fauk, and sister Joan Day. Jean greatly enjoyed spending time with her large family, who will miss her gentle and very caring heart.
A funeral mass will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday May 7, 2016 at St. Bernadette Catholic Parish, 2331 E Lourdes Drive in Appleton. Visitation will be on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the time for the service at the church. For more information and to express condolences, please visit www.wichmannfargo.com.
The family requests no flowers.
Published in Appleton Post-Crescent on May 4, 2016

Jean married Blahnik, David [Group Sheet]