Jay Mielke, age 56, Neenah, passed away peacefully on May 13, 2013, in the loving presence of his wife and daughters.
He was born on September 1, 1956, in New London, son of William “Bill” and Kathleen “Kay” (Roman) Mielke. Jay graduated from New London High School and was a lifelong Bulldogs fan. He also attended UW-Stevens Point. Jay retired from the Wisconsin Resource Center in February of 2003. Becoming the father of two daughters was the most important accomplishment of his life. He enjoyed watching them grow into beautiful women and was always proud of their achievements. Jay also enjoyed listening to live jazz bands, being outdoors and feeding his birds as well as laughing with his family. He was a tremendous Packer and Badger fan and rarely missed watching a game.
Jay is survived by his wife, Dawn; daughters: Meg and Marissa, both of Neenah; and his mother. He is further survived by his siblings: Cheryl (Bill) Schmidt, New London; Mary (Manuel) Salerno, Ansbach, Germany; and David (Stacey) Mielke, Greenville; a sister-in-law, Marlene Mielke, and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by the mother of his children, Mary (Steve) Nitz. Jay was preceded in death by his father; a brother, Mark; and his canine companion, Max.
Memorial services will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at the Kessler Funeral Home, 304 S. Commercial St., Neenah with Chaplain Darren Beachy officiating. Visitation will be held Tuesday at the funeral home from 3:00 p.m. until the time of the service. A memorial has been established in Jay’s name. Jay’s family would like to express a heartfelt thank you to all the staff at Affinity Hospice and the Freseniw Dialysis Center, and Dr. Ifueko Okundaye, for their wonderful care of Jay. While we will miss him daily, we will continue to celebrate his life and memories the best way we know how by enjoying the little things in life. You fought long enough our sweet father and husband. Now you can be in peace. Pops, we love you more than Pepsi. Assisting the family is the Kessler Funeral Home, Neenah. www.kesslerfh.com