Eugene John Gruszewski

Eugene Gruszewski, age 90, of Greendale, WI, passed away peacefully after a sudden illness on May 8, 2026, at the Zilber Family Hospice. Gene was born October 16, 1935, in the Polish community of River West in Milwaukee, WI to John and Veronica “Winnie” (Bloch) Gruszewski.

Gene was the oldest of three children, helping to take care of his younger siblings. He grew up in a crowded apartment complex, home to four families with a shared bathroom and no hot water. Throughout his youth, Gene took advantage of playing sunup to sundown; the entire neighborhood acting as his personal backyard. Gene attended Notre Dame High School where he enjoyed the annual dances and helped manage the school basketball team. During his summers, Gene obtained his first job working in the sod fields for a landscape company. At a St. Casimir’s Church dance, Gene locked eyes with Joan Suchocki, the love of his life. Ironically, they only lived a few blocks apart for several years and even went to the same grade school but had never met each other before then. They married on May 4, 1957.

After high school, Gene began an apprenticeship at Allis - Chalmers where he would learn electrical work, including building and testing motors. He later became a member and good brother of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 and the Federation of Linemen and Electricians. He especially enjoyed heavy industrial construction jobs including installing taconite processing lines for the iron mines of Northern Minnesota to building gas and nuclear power plants in Oak Creek and Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Rockford and Zion Illinois.

Gene and Joan raised three lovely children together - two girls and a very handsome boy. They moved to Oak Creek in 1968 and joined St. Matthew Church. An active school parent and parishioner, Gene helped with many school fundraisers and events, was a Boy Scout Leader of Troop 251, and installed new wiring and electrical service during the renovation of the Little Brick Church. He assisted Joan with her work for the prayer shawl ministry by checking for any loose ends and putting in the first nap for nearly 1,000 newly crocheted shawls.

Gene enjoyed Dart ball, bowling, and sheepshead. He and his boyhood friends got together monthly to play sheepshead for over sixty years. He was a big fan of Indy and NASCAR oval track racing. He was an avid gardener and landscaper; a collector of toy tractors and farm implements, coins, and stamps; and a skilled woodworker. He carved wooden duck decoys, and built bread boxes, letter holders, birdhouses, and desk organizers for all the family and friends. His house was furnished with the cabinets, tables, and dressers that he built.

He loved the outdoors. He enjoyed camping, canoeing, fishing and hunting with his loyal beagle Penny and her sidekick Poppy. Gene and Joan became professional travelers, adventuring across the US, Caribbean, Central America, and China. They were certified SCUBA divers, logging well over 400 deep sea dives. After hanging up his diving mask and fins, and putting away his traveling shoes, Gene stayed active in his retirement community. He went to Bingo, trivia games, Wii bowling, and bean bag toss every week. He went to Andrew’s exercise class twice a week, and until a hip fracture last fall, he walked 1 ¼ miles outside with his walker every day.

Gene is survived by his daughter Karin (Steve) Biedrzycki; son, Jeffrey Gruszewski; sister, Carol (Louis) Opansky; and nieces and nephews Cheryl (R.D.) Harles, Christine (Steven) Zakrzewski, Brian (Holly) Opansky, and Michael (Kellie) Opansky. Gene is preceded in death by Joan, his loving wife of 67 years; parents; brother and sister-in-law, Gerald and Laura Gruszewski; daughter, Ellen Green; and son-in-law, David Green.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 9303 S. Chicago Rd. in Oak Creek. Visitation at 9:30 a.m. followed by Mass at 11:00 a.m. The family wishes to thank the staff and good friends at Harbour Village Retirement Community for their care, support, and many, many bingo quarters. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Matthew Catholic School.