Obituaries

Francis “Frank” Joseph Koeferl, age 83, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2023. Frank was born on June 27, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the son of the late Cecilia M. and Joseph G. Koeferl. Frank attended Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee, which prepared his heart, mind, and soul for his calling to serve God. Frank performed several marriages and funerals within the family, and served as a priest in various churches including Saint Nicholas in Milwaukee where he met the love of his life, Jane Williams.

After Frank left the priesthood, he spent his career in both not-for-profit with Goodwill Industries as well as Wright Management, a for-profit talent solutions organization headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin. Frank retired from Wright Management after building a legacy for helping others develop leadership skills, career coaching, and placing the right people in the right jobs.

After their marriage in 1977, Frank and Jane lived briefly in Milwaukee followed by a home in East Troy. In 1984, they moved to Appleton – making Appleton their permanent home for nearly forty years. Following Jane’s death, Frank moved to an assisted living facility in Madison to be closer to their daughter Julie and her husband Brian.

With the help of his father, family members and dear friends, Frank built a lake home (also known as the A-frame) on Brown Lake near Rhinelander in the 1970s. Frank spent weekends and any free time continuing to expand that small home and was proud of the craftsmanship they put into making it their summer home for decades. Other hobbies included spending countless hours on learning as much as he could about genealogy – studying his own family’s history and going back generations to trace their lineage. Collecting coins, reading history and science fiction books, and volunteering at the local church were other pastimes Frank enjoyed. Frank loved the computer and called it his guilty pleasure when he spent time sharing posts on Facebook.

An introvert by nature, Frank loved spending time alone as much as he loved spending time with others. He had a quick wit and loved sharing his brilliant sense of humor. Family was always very important to Frank, caring for his mother and his wife until their deaths.
Frank is survived by his (step) children David Neu (Esperanza) and Julie Olson (Brian); granddaughters Danielle and Alexandra Neu; brothers Joe (Patti), Tony (Susan), Peter, and sister Rita; five nieces, two nephews, five grand nieces, and four grand nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday August 4th at 11:00 am at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Madison followed by burial services at Forest Hill Cemetery in Chippewa Falls.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com