Richard Leonard Kolbe Obituary

Richard Leonard Kolbe, age 73, passed away peacefully on November 28, 2025, from pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Susan (Hanrath) Kolbe; siblings Ronald (Sandi) Kolbe, Roger (Cheri) Kolbe, Gerard Kolbe, and Carol (Pete) Mueller; children Melanie (Kyle) Klamar, Vanessa (Erik) Eisenmann, and Nathan (Jessica) Kolbe; and grandchildren Jack and Ray Klamar, Cora and Elsa Eisenmann, and Elijah and Oliver Kolbe. Rich was preceded in death by his parents Clem and Grace (Mirsberger) Kolbe and siblings Donald, Mark, Margaret, and Peter Kolbe.

Rich was born on a dairy farm in Chilton, WI, on February 4, 1952. At the age of 13, Rich decided to attend JFK Prep, an all-boys boarding high school in St. Nazianz, WI, with intentions of becoming a Catholic priest. Thereafter, he attended UW-Madison, graduating with majors in Computer Science (at the time, a brand new field of study) and Mathematics. During one summer in college, Rich traveled to Nicaragua to assist his cousin, Fr. Andre Weller, with missionary work. Rich later earned his MBA from DePaul University.

On July 6, 1974, after less than a year of dating, Rich married the love of his life, Susan, and decided not to become a priest after all. They had 51 wonderful years together, raising their three children in Mequon, WI. Rich retired at age 60 after a long career as an IT executive at Harley-Davidson, Giddings & Lewis, and Briggs & Stratton. He later worked as an IT consultant and an adjunct professor at Marquette University's business school.

Rich will be remembered for many things—his 30 years as a season ticket holder for the Milwaukee Brewers, his ability to quote "Seinfeld" verbatim, his love of numbers and crossword puzzles—but first and foremost are his generosity and faith. Rich strongly believed that God put us on this Earth to help others, and his conviction on this point never wavered. To that end, Rich was active with Lumen Christi Catholic Church, serving on the Parish Council, as well as Knights of Columbus, serving as Grand Knight. Rich also continued to help his brothers run their family farm and volunteered with St. Vincent de Paul during his retirement.

A visitation will be held at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home in Mequon on Friday, December 12, 2025, from 4:00 pm to the time of vigil at 7:00 pm. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Lumen Christi Catholic Church in Mequon on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 10:30 am, with a lunch reception to follow. Private burial at Resurrection Cemetery in Mequon at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee or Sojourner Family Peace Center are appreciated.