Joan Gruszewski

Joan (Suchocki) Gruszewski, age 87, of Greendale, WI, passed away peacefully after a long illness on February 9, 2025, at Harbour Village Retirement Community. Joan was born November 16, 1937, in Milwaukee, WI to John and Anne (Meczkowski) Suchocki. She married the love of her life, Eugene Gruszewski on May 4, 1957.  While raising her children, she worked at Northwest Mutual Insurance, J. C. Penny's, and Nunn Bush Shoe Factory. As a cafeteria monitor at Oak Creek High School, her tough love earned her the nickname "Sarge" which followed her the rest of her life. She rode her moped to and from her job as a manager at the Ryan Road McDonalds. After retiring from CBC Environmental Laboratories, she and Eugene became professional travelers, adventuring across the US, Caribbean, and China. She was a certified SCUBA diver, logging over 400 deep sea dives. Always active in her church, Joan was in the choir at St. Casimir, coordinated the crossing guards at St. Agnes, and crocheted nearly 1,000 prayer shawls for the ministry at St. Matthew where she was a member since 1968. She enjoyed crafting, baseball, camping, bingo, and Elvis. She had a quick mind, strong opinions, fierce loyalty, and a loving heart. Joan is survived by her loving husband of 67 years, Eugene Gruszewski; daughter Karin (Steve) Biedrzycki; and son, Jeffrey Gruszewski. Joan is preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Ellen Green; and son-in-law, David Green. Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 9303 S. Chicago Rd. in Oak Creek. Visitation at 9:00 a.m. followed by Mass at 11:00 a.m. The family wishes to thank the staff, caregivers, and many friends at Harbour Village Retirement Community for their care and support. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Matthew Catholic School.