Joseph F. Schirger Jr.

Joseph “Joe” F. Schirger Jr., of Grafton, peacefully passed away surrounded by his loving family on November 11, 2025, at the age of 60. He was born on November 20, 1964, in Elizabeth, New Jersey to his parents Joseph Schirger Sr. and Joan Schirger (Jaeger). Joe spent most of his childhood growing up in Oshkosh, WI where he graduated from Oshkosh West High School. Joe was united in marriage to his beloved wife, Patricia “Patti” (Borchardt) on June 20, 1992, at St. Sylvester Catholic Church in South Milwaukee, WI. Together, their marriage was blessed with five children.

Joe began his college education at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN where he also played football. Joe received a BBA from St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI where he also met his future wife, Patti, in an accounting class. Shortly after getting married, Joe and Patti moved to Colorado so Joe could pursue his Master of Taxation at the University of Denver.

Throughout his lifetime, Joe worked for numerous public accounting firms in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Colorado, with 20+ years spent with CliftonLarsonAllen (previously Schenck SC) in the greater Milwaukee metro area.

While living in Colorado, Joe discovered his passion of implementing his Catholic faith into community service through involvement in Knights of Columbus. Once moving back to Wisconsin, Joe continued to stay involved in his church community by taking a few hours on a Saturday morning to deliver bakery items to Miwaukee’s homeless shelters through Inner City Food Ministry, being a Treasurer for the Ozaukee Interfaith Caregivers in Grafton, WI, and becoming a Trustee for St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Cedarburg, WI.

When not working, Joe was supporting his three sons playing his favorite sport, football, whether it was for the Grafton Gladiators, Grafton Blackhawks, Living Word Lutheran High School Timberwolves, or UW Oshkosh Titans. Joe was also never afraid to share a beer while tailgating before any Titans game or in the backyard grilling for his family. Joe was known as a ‘bookworm’ with a great interest in any history or Catholic book. Following his cancer diagnosis, Joe spent many hours reading these books while receiving chemotherapy treatment and especially finding comfort and strength in St. Therese of Lisieux’s Story of a Soul.

Joe is survived by his wife of 33 years, Patti, and his five children, Megan Schirger of Marshfield, Michael (Hannah) Schirger of Kaukauna, John Schirger of Oshkosh, Therese Schirger of Grafton, and Matthew Schirger of Grafton. He is further survived by his father, Joseph Schirger Sr of Oshkosh, and siblings, Diane Schirger of Wisconsin Rapids, Sharon (William) Boehme of Oshkosh, James Schirger of Elizabeth, CO, and Jane Schirger of Oshkosh.

Joe is preceded in death by his mother, Joan Schirger (Jaeger) and sister-in-law, Laurie Schirger (Fifarek).

There will be a Mass of Christian Burial for Joe at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1619 Washington St., in Grafton on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 12:30 PM with Fr. Tim Schumaker officiating. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, at the church from 10:30 AM – 12:15 PM. Entombment at Resurrection Cemetery in Mequon.

The family wants to extend their gratitude to the amazing members of the Oncology team at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, especially James Thomas, MD, and Yee Lan Wong, PA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Grafton Click to Donate, Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Colon Cancer Research Click to Donate, and/or checks made out to Patricia or Matthew Schirger with “College Education” on the memo line.