Nicholas Shoppach, age 80, of West Bend, passed away on Friday, February 21, 2014 at the Lighthouse in West Bend.
He was born on September 1, 1933 in Searsy County Arkansas to the late Thomas and Lettie Mae (nee Pennington) Shoppach. In 1938, at the age of five, Nicholas moved with his family to El Paso, TX where he attended Crockett Grade School and later graduated from Austin High School. Following high school, Nicholas served his country honorably as a Sergeant in the United States Army. He was united in marriage to Shirley Opgenorth on June 23, 1956 and together they moved to West Bend in 1959. Nicholas was employed by AT&T for 33 years before his retirement in 1985. He was a member of the Telecom Pioneers, the CWA Union, and Fifth Ave. United Methodist Church in West Bend. He enjoyed browsing through the library and reading books, watching sporting events, serving at church, and listening to his wife and grandkids play music.
Nicholas is survived by his five children and 11 grandchildren, Pennie (Jim) Brzezinski and sons Adam, Mark, and Jack of Pewaukee, Mary (Colin) Robertson of Longview, WA, Ivan (Justine) Shoppach and daughters Nicole, Megan, and Lauren of West Bend, Stuart Shoppach (fiancAC. Andrea Zepnick) and son Matthew of New Fane, and Steven (Heather) Shoppach and children Ian, Kelsey, Anika and Julia of Waukesha; one sister, Carolyn Parshall of Overland Park, KS; four sisters-in-law, Lois (Denis) Schmideler of Sheboygan, Gerry (Pat) McFarland of Minocqua, Joyce Opgenorth of Denver, CO, and Virginia (Norbert) Schreiber of Sheboygan; four brothers-in-law, Larry (Gloria) Opgenorth of Oostburg, Wayne (Laverne) Opgenorth of Oostburg, Lloyd (Lin) Opgenorth of Traverse City, MI, and Roger (Martha) Jensema of Sheboygan Falls; and many other close relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Lettie; his wife, Shirley; his brother Thomas (Marge) Shoppach, two sisters-in-law, Gloria (Donald) DeBlaey and Diane Jensema; and four brothers-in-law, Gerhardt, Conrad, and Ralph Opgenorth, and Thomas Parshall.
Private family services will be held at a later date.