Tom Zuhlke, 85, passed away at Froedtert Memorial Hospital, Milwaukee on Thursday Oct. 29, 2009.

Tom was born in Oshkosh, Wis., on April 20, 1924, to the late Theodore and Amanda (Schmidt) Zuhlke. He moved to Kenosha as a teenager and graduated from Bradford High School. He served our country in the United States Navy during World War II as a Pharmacists Mate in the Pacific. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1952 with a bachelor's degree in Science and Education. In 1956, he received his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Northwestern University. On Sept. 9, 1990, he was united in marriage to Marybeth Safransky VanLanduyt. Tom lived in Racine the past twenty years.

Tom worked as a teacher, principal and Director of Governmental Projects in the Kenosha Unified schools for 37 years. He was an adjunct instructor at UW-Parkside for 9 years in the Teacher Education Department. In 1995 Tom was named honorary Principal of South Ocean International Schools in Datong and Taiyuan, China. Since 1990, he has become well known as a stained glass artist making over 400 original Illuminart pieces. His work is displayed in several churches, institutions, and private collections throughout the United States. Tom cherished his relationship with his wife, children, family, members of the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, and his fellow shipmates of the USS Solace.

Surviving are his wife, Marybeth Zuhlke; children from a previous marriage, Sally (Ken) Schaefer of Middleton, Jim (Kathy) Zuhlke of Pleasant Prairie, and Mark Zuhlke of Kenosha; step children, Kyle (Sarah) VanLanduyt of Prairie Village, Kan., Ravi (Jessica) VanLanduyt of Litchfield, Minn., and JunJie (Jie Huang) Pan of Chicago, Ill. He is also survived by his sister Carol (Jim) Jansen of Kenosha. Additional survivors include nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, relatives and numerous friends.

He was also preceded in death by his sister, Marion Loeffler; and brothers, Warren and Theodore Zuhlke.

A memorial service will be held in Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Monday Nov. 9, 2009, at 1 p.m. with Rev. Dr. Tony Larsen officiating. Friends and relatives may meet with the family from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests the memorial donations to Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, John XXII Educational Center, or the Racine Literacy Council. Private interment will take place at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove, Wis.

The family wishes to thank the staff of All Saints Hospital and Froedtert Memorial Hospital for their compassionate care and support.

Draeger-Langendorf

Funeral Home

4600 County Line Road

Racine, WI 53403

262-552-9000