Donald A. "Don" Stepniak, 86, passed away Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at Cherry Meadows Hospice.  The youngest of nine children, he was born on the family farm in the Township of Lake on February 19, 1934 to the late Walter and Martha (Okoniewska) Stepniak.  Don married Dolores M. Hoida on September 20, 1958 at the former Epiphany Church, Menominee, MI and they were married for 61 years.  He attended Garfield School in a one room school for grades 1-2, St. Anthony from grades 3-8, and Marinette High School.  Don was a Sea Scout in his high school years.  He attended St. John's in Collegeville, MN for two years on a football scholarship before being drafted into the U.S. Army, where he continued to play football.  Don served in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Spec. 3 ^rd Class in the 7 ^th Army in 1958.  He then attended St. Norbert College and earned his degree in Business Administration in 1960.  Don worked at Appleton Mills from 1967-1996, retiring as the Manager of Human Resources.  He was the president of the Appleton Personnel Association and the first president of the Fox Valley Society for Human Resources.

Don loved to play golf and had a membership at Glacier Wood Golf Club in Iola.  He had a seasonal site at Casey Lake Campground in Odgensburg for many years.  Don loved to fish for bluegills, vegetable gardening, reading books, and spending time is his workshop making furniture.    He was a Packer season ticket holder for many years.  He and Dolores traveled all 50 states, many European countries, Australia and New Zealand.

Survivors are his wife, Dolores; daughter, Karen Schmelzer, Combined Locks, WI; son, Gary Stepniak, Minneapolis, MN; and grandsons:  Jacob and Matthew Schmelzer, Combined Locks, WI.  He is further survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Don was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Eugene Schmelzer; father and mother-in-law, Ernest and Inez Hoida; brothers:  Victor (Doris), Bernard (Muriel), Henry (Jean), and Walter (Henrietta) Stepniak; and sisters:  Irene (Bernard) Michalski, Helen (Levi) Phillips, Margaret (Floyd) Madson, and Veronica (Leonard) Dorscheid.

Due to the COVID-19 virus, a private funeral mass will be held at St. Bernadette Catholic Church followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery.  The funeral will be live streamed.  For details, please call the funeral home.

Don's family would like to thank Todd (RN) and the rest of the staff at Cherry Meadows for the compassionate care he received.