Walter M. Pyskir Obituary
Volodymyr "Walter" Pyskir of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin passed away at home on December 5th, 2022, one week after celebrating his 93rd birthday.
Volodymyr was born in Komarno, Ukraine and as a teenager he immigrated to the US with his family after WWII. After serving in the US Army, he earned a bachelor's degree in education at the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree from Marquette University.
Volodymyr was the longest serving teacher in the history of the Wauwatosa school system. He mentored thousands of students during his 50-year teaching career at Tosa East and West High Schools. Volodymyr taught Russian and social studies. He also coached the soccer and golf teams.
Volodymyr was a leader in the Ukrainian Community. He served many years as president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and taught at the St. Michael's Parish Ukrainian Saturday school. Volodymyr led the Ukrainian community's Holiday Folk Fair activities and also served as the chairman for the entire event. He was a member of the International Institute's board.
Volodymyr loved Ukrainian poetry, bragging about his grandkids, and golf – which he played until he turned 88.
Volodymyr was the patriarch of a large and loving family. He was a devoted husband to his wife of 53 years, Maria, and a doting father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He will be greatly missed by his son Bohdan (Beth) and their children, Nicholas (Stephanie (Emlyn & Theodore)), Larisa (Adam) Knopp, Andrew, and Matthew; and his daughter Larisa (James) Gehred, and their children Maria and Natalie. He is survived by his siblings Andrew (Slavka) and Irene (Roman) Bilak and many nieces and nephews.
Volodymyr is preceded in death by his wife Maria, his son-in-law James Gehred, and his parents Anna and Theodore Pyskir. A celebration of Volodymyr's life will be held on Saturday, December 17th at Schmidt and Bartelt Funeral Home at 10121 W North Ave, Wauwatosa, WI 53226. Visitation will take place from noon to 1:00 PM followed by a funeral mass. In lieu of flowers, please support Ukraine's fight for freedom by donating to Razom for Ukraine: http://www.razomforukraine.org Visitation Saturday, December 17, 2022 Noon - 1:00 PM Schmidt & Bartelt Wauwatosa 10121 W North Ave. Wauwatosa, WI 53226 Phone: (414) 774-5010.
