Nadine Sue Piel

Nadine Piel was a vibrant person to know and to love. She loved her family beyond measure and had a natural passion for people as well as the outdoors. Spending time with her family meant everything to her and she treasured their special time together. Her warm personality and steadfast love will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her many special friends and loved ones.

The 1940s were characterized by WWII. Some of the most significant inventions that would impact lives for many years to come were created during this time period including the Transistor and the Mobile Phone. Leonard and Bernice (nee Nizolek) Wilke were delighted when their daughter, Nadine, arrived on July 6, 1946, at St. Mary’s Hospital Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Joining her older siblings, Janis and Norman, and later followed by her younger siblings, Christine and Randy, her birth brought her parents great joy and happiness.

Growing up on the southside of Milwaukee, Nadine lived a typical childhood of the times. Her delightful personality was seen at an early age. Financial hardships held them all together as well as the strength and love from their mother who was a wonderful homemaker. Nadine attended local schools and graduated with the Class of 1963 from Pulaski High School. After graduation, she entered the world of work. Her outgoing and fun-loving personality landed her a position with Wisconsin Bell as an office clerk. Hardworking and well respected by her employers, Nadine was able to have the very first telephone installed in her mother’s home as one of the perks of being a faithful employee. Anything she set her mind on accomplishing, she was surely going to give it her all!

At the tender age of nineteen, Nadine was blessed to become a mother to her son, Martin. He was her pride and joy and nearly six years later, he was joined by his younger sister, Gayle. Nadine was a wonderful mother and leaned on the support of her own mother to help raise both Marty and Gayle. She didn’t stay a single mom for long before meeting her soulmate, Bill Piel. Hitting it off right from their very first meeting, they dated for a short time before joining in marriage in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 7, 1981. The two of them were eager to spend the rest of their lives together and Bill was happy to take on the role of stepfather to Marty and Gayle.

Adventurous as well as lovers of the outdoors, Nadine and Bill enjoyed taking the kids camping each year and normally also took along Nadine’s mother. There was never a dull moment around the campfires over the years. They enjoyed singing together and on a number of occasions Gayle would dance around the campfire along with the lightning bugs and the sounds of the Cicadas. Nadine and Bill also loved to take road trips. One year, as a family, they traveled the long distance to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming covering thousands of miles while also pulling their 5th wheel camper. Once they arrived, they were in awe of the wonderful wildlife and experienced nearly every geyser in the park! As a family, they made many wonderful memories together.

Nadine and Bill made the most of their years together after the children had grown. She enjoyed his cooking, especially his grilled BBQ chicken. Never one to sit still for long, Nadine enjoyed bowling, playing cards, and their annual trips to Las Vegas. An avid player of video poker, she was lucky to hit a few royal flushes over the years. They enjoyed the southwest so much that in 1983 they decided to move to Bullhead City, Arizona. They enjoyed many years there doing the things they loved before Bill passed away in February 1994. Nadine was hit hard from the loss of Bill and later moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to her family. She was thrilled to spend time with her grandchildren, Sabryna and Brittnee. She was immensely proud of them and wanted nothing more than to share in their every success.

A woman of many simple pleasures, Nadine held a wide variety of special pastimes. Like most Wisconsinites, she enjoyed the Green Bay Packers, but with a niche for gambling, she enjoyed the Packer football pools even more! A Patsy Cline fan for many years, her favorite song was, Crazy. Nadine also loved the movie, Grease, and had watched it many times over the years. Without Bill’s cooking in recent years, she loved to order pizza with her favorite toppings from the iconic, Ned’s Pizza! Nadine was a genuine person who saw the good in others. Before life’s burdens took their toll on her, Nadine lived her life to the fullest. She loved, laughed, and did the best she could to always be kind and giving. Nadine wanted nothing more than the very best for her family. Her loved ones will surely miss her. May they never doubt the love she had for each of them and may they continue to be guided by her strength in the years to come.

Nadine Sue (nee Wilke) Piel, passed away August 12, 2020, at the age of 74 years. She is preceded in death by her husband William H. Piel. She is the cherished mother of Martin Stasiewski and Gayle (Scott) Kempinski, loving grandmother of Sabryna Stasiewski and Brittnee Stasiewski. Nadine is further survived by two brothers, a sister, other special relatives and friends. Family and friends will gather for a visitation Monday, August 17, 2020 at the Suminski Family Funeral Home 1901 N. Farwell Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53202 from 10:30 AM until time of the Funeral Service at 11:30 AM. Interment to follow at Wood National Cemetery. Share a memory and sign the guestbook at www.suminskifuneralhome.com