Obituaries

Madison – Joyce F. Schenkenberg, age 81, passed away Monday, January 27, 2025 in Madison, WI. She was born on May 4, 1943 in Racine, WI to parents, Frank and Flora (Rago) Bellovary.

Joyce attended St. Catherine’s Catholic High School and graduated from Dominican College in Racine. She married her high school sweetheart, Paul Schenkenberg, on August 7, 1965 at St. Lucy’s Church in Racine. They were married for 49 years before Paul’s passing in 2014.

Joyce cherished her family and friends above all else. She was a devoted mother and a source of unwavering strength and support to her three children, Becky, Scott, and Chris, especially as they left the nest to chase their dreams in places far from home including Texas, South Carolina, northern Wisconsin and Chicago. She adored her five grandchildren, Erika, Jake, Connor, Julia, and Andrew and her great granddaughter Shiloh. Joyce loved to entertain family and friends for all holidays and especially loved family get togethers at Schenks Place North on Big St Germain Lake in northern Wisconsin, where she was known to enjoy a vodka gimlet or two. Grammy also had a tendency to overheat food in the microwave oven, and to this day her children and grandchildren still laugh when someone makes the same mistake describing the situation as “you Joyced it”. We remember and will miss her humor, positivity, and ability to see the good in all people and situations.

Joyce is survived by her daughter, Rebecca (Charlie) Hoslet; son, Christopher (Dianne) Schenkenberg; daughter-in-law, Debra Schenkenberg; former son-in-law, Patrick McCulloch; grandchildren, Erika (Brent) Blakeman, Jake McCulloch, Connor, Julia and Andrew Schenkenberg; and great-granddaughter, Shiloh Blakeman. She is also survived by her special stepmom, Mary Louise Schenkenberg; her sister, Dorothy (Bill) Bushell; brother-in-law, Bob (Leitha) Schenkenberg; sister-in-law, Cathy Bellovary; and brother-in-law, John Volk. She is further survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her in-laws; her husband Paul, her son Scott, her brother Frank Bellovary, and her sister-in-law Nancy Volk.

A special thank you to Vista West/Blu Grotto and Brighton Hospice for their wonderful care of Joyce these past few years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m., Friday May 2, 2025 at St. Olaf Catholic Church, 623 Jefferson St., DeForest, WI. A visitation will take place one hour prior to Mass from 10:30-11:30 a.m., as well as, Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at Ryan Funeral Home, 220 Enterprise Dr., Verona, WI.

Memorials may be made to: The Parkinson’s Foundation, 5757 Waterford District Dr. Suite 310, Miami, FL 33126 or to the Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Rd., Madison, WI 53718.

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

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Verona Chapel

220 Enterprise Drive

608-845-6625