Frank C. Schuster

A visitation will be held on Tuesday April 22, 2025 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME 4800 S. 84th St. Greenfield, WI 53228 and also again at church on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 from 11:00am-12:00pm followed by Mass at 12:00pm at OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH 3722 S. 58th St, Milwaukee, WI 53220. Entombment Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Frank C. “Chuck” Schuster (84) of Greendale died peacefully on April 9, 2025. He was born on November 27, 1940 to the late Frank E. Schuster and Leona K. Schuster (nee Schmidt) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in Bay View, and later in West Allis. He attended Don Bosco High School and graduated in the class of 1958. 

He married Joan Frances Palkowski on December 30, 1967 at Immaculate Conception Church in Bay View, Wisconsin. They were a match made in heaven. They both loved sports, musicals (they appeared together in operettas at St. Mary’s Academy), beer, and volunteering. 

After a short stint as a tool & die maker at Allen Bradley, Frank became a public servant when he joined the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department in 1968. During his time there, he worked on the road patrol and eventually transitioned to an office job with the Detective Bureau and Welfare Fraud Unit. He then frequently performed extraditions across the United States with his partner and catering buddy, Warren Radtke. Frank originally retired on 9-9-95, but boredom led him back as a parking checker until 2011.

Frank was an active member of the Knights of Columbus for many years in the 1970s, tirelessly volunteering for things like the annual summer festival at St. John’s School for the Deaf and turning the family home’s basement into a print shop for the organization’s newsletter, The Cardinal Press.

Frank was an avid racing enthusiast since his teens. He worked as an inspector and in the infield for many years at Hales Corners, Cedarburg, Elkhart Lake, and Wisconsin State Fair speedways with Joan along in the stands. 

As his younger son Patrick got older, the basement converted into sporting goods storage as Frank and Joan took care of all the equipment and uniforms for Greendale Twi-nite baseball and softball teams as well as the Greendale Youth Football program for many years.  

Near the end of Frank’s sheriff career, he and Warren started catering monthly meetings for the department which led to a fondness for cooking for people. They occasionally catered different events for friends and even tackled a few wedding receptions. All that cooking eventually turned into a love for baking some of the best sweet treats around.  Raspberry bars, Christmas cookies, cherry pie, Joan’s chocolate eclairs, almond toffee,  and cookies as big as your head were a few things for which he was famous. He’d share his creations with just about anybody who would eat them: nurses and hospital staff during his two rounds of chemo treatments; youth football players after their games and banquets; his older son Mark’s coworkers; and, of course, for his own parties. Frank, with the help of his boys, Mark and Patrick, threw the “party of the holiday season” for many years. He served wonderful food, desserts (chocolate fountain!), and drinks. He loved to be surrounded by his family and friends and see them having a great time.   

Frank’s love language was taking care of people and helping them in one way or another. He took care of his mother, eventually visiting her regularly in the nursing home for her last six years. He cared for Joan after her COPD diagnosis until her death in 2003. He helped Mark build scenery for many of his theatre productions at Waukesha Civic Theatre and Greendale High School. He carted stuff around in his green Chevy truck and helped neighbors move things. That big green truck was invaluable when daughter-in-law Julie headed up the youth football and Greendale High School concessions, carting food and drink to the concession stand. He would do anything for anybody! 

Frank visited Walt Disney World in 2006 and had such a good time that he decided to “leave a legacy” to his grandsons by becoming a member of the Disney Vacation Club. He LOVED the time he spent in Florida at all the Disney parks both with family and good friends. He celebrated his 75th birthday there with Larry Lesch, Dan Schuster, and Dave Palkowski, and he let Mark, Mark’s partner Kevin, Patrick, and Julie tag along as well. “The guys” would hang out in the pool and the hot tub talking to anybody who would listen while drinking their beer and brandy.  After that, it was rare to see him not wearing a Disney themed t-shirt or hat. His generosity and kindness will be remembered every time his family visits Disney for the rest of their lives.

In his later years, you could find Frank sitting in his garage or driveway with a beer in hand and a tale to tell. Neighbors and friends – including Paul Woida and Ralph Cook – would regularly stop by to listen to his stories of the race track, life as a sheriff, or current events. He LOVED to talk! He was especially proud of his grandsons, making birthday treats for their school friends, attending their high school football games, and bragging about them to everyone who would listen.  

Frank was a memorable guy due to his kindness, his generosity, and his handlebar mustache. He was a fixture in Greendale, especially at his favorite local restaurant, Ricardo’s, and he made it a point to get there for the wing special on Tuesday nights. He will be missed by many. Remember: don’t fall in the snow!

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife, Joan (Palkowski) Schuster, his sister, Ann Marie Pugel and his two black labs – Moose and Deuce. He is survived by his sons, Mark E. Schuster (Kevin Gadzalinski) and Patrick C. Schuster (Julie) and Patrick and Julie’s grown sons, Dylan and Colin. He is also survived by brothers-in-law David Palkowski (Linda) and Ken Pugel, sister-in-law Mary Ellen (Palkowski) Bircher (Norman), and his three nieces and three nephews.

Visitation will be held at HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME, 4800 S. 84th St., Greenfield, WI on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Additional visitation will be held at OUR LADY OF LOURDES, 3722 S. 58th St., Milwaukee, WI on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. with the Mass of Christian Burial to follow at noon. Interment will take place at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.