Donald Piotrowski

Donald John Piotrowski, age 86, passed away peacefully on 5-18-23 surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was born on 2-21-37 to his parents Frank and Genevieve and had 3 siblings, brother Edwin, and two sisters, Alice and Loretta. He was born and raised in Milwaukee and graduated from East Division (Riverside) High School in 1955. While at Riverside, he played football, basketball, and baseball. He loved most sports and was a life-long Packer fan. Besides his love of watching sports, he also coached many baseball teams throughout the years. He enjoyed fishing, the Northwoods with its abundance of wildlife, and working on his house and yard. His greatest joy of all was spending time with his family. He worked at various jobs until joining the Brown Deer Police Department in 1965. He met the love of his life, Alice in 1959, and they married in 1962. Before the marriage, Don joined the Army National Guard and spent 6 months training in Fort Leonard Wood, MO, including training as an MP. Shortly after President John Kennedy called up the 32nd Red Arrow Division of the National Guard to train and stand by during the Berlin Crisis for a year. It delayed the marriage until he returned in October of 1962. While Alice worked at the Milwaukee Police Department, he became a police officer in Brown Deer and attended the Milwaukee Police Training School. After three years with the Brown Deer Police Department, he became one of the first police officers on the newly formed Germantown Police Department. He served on that department as a Patrolman and later as its first Detective for thirty years, retiring in 1996 after a distinguished career. His family was always his priority, and he spent his whole life dedicated to the health and well being of his family. He was a great teacher and model of integrity for all his children. Even though he said he didn't know what to do with his three little girls, they adored him and he spent his share of times playing with them and their Barbie dolls and drinking from miniature teacups. He was a man of great honesty and integrity and deeply committed to his Catholic faith. He was the rock through the many tribulations of life for many, and everyone knew he could be counted on and would never let you down. Always a seeker of truth, he could not abide those who could only have a loose connection to it. He considered truth to be the guiding principle of his life, a natural and basic rule of conduct to be adhered to at all costs. Don is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Alice (nee Kern), his children, Mary Schmaus (the late Gary), Donna Hrobsky (Andrew), Paul (Laura), Steve (Andrea), and Christine. He is further survived by his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and numerous relatives and friends. There will be a visitation at the Schramka-Densow Funeral Home (423 N. Main St., Thiensville) from 4:00 PM-7:00 PM on Tuesday, May 23rd. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, May 24 at 1:30 PM preceded by visitation at 12:30 at Lumen Christi Catholic Church (2750 W. Mequon Rd., Mequon).