Charles Christopher Pfannerstill

Charles ”Chris” Christopher Pfannerstill, 81, of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully November 2, 2025, surrounded by his wife Patty and his three daughters: Tracy (Keith) Kummer, Kathy (Kirk Stimpert) Pfannerstill, and Julie (Dan) Purney. Chris is survived by his sisters Cathy Nolan, Trudy (Lucky) Wagner and Ginny (Jim) Serwin; his grandchildren Jakob (Danitza), Samuel, and Nicholas Eynon, Andrea Kummer, Morgan and Riley Rogers, and Christopher, Austin, and Fischer Purney. He was preceded in death by his parents Dorothy and Charles “Chuck” Pfannerstill, siblings Bill (Linda), Rick (Susie), and Marybeth.

His childhood and life that followed was strongly rooted in music. At the age of five, he was hopping on the city bus alone with his accordion for music lessons. His mother’s musical talent as a singer made a huge impression on him, and as a young child, he would accompany her to her performances where he would sit mesmerized. As the family grew, the entire family performed around the area as “The Singing Pfannerstills,” where he not only sang, but also accompanied them with his accordion.

Music continued to be a focus in his life. He went to Pius High School and was chosen for the lead as Curly in Oklahoma. He played oboe and had many solos. His pursuit of music continued while attending St Thomas College in St Paul, MN, as a music major. His studies were cut short when his money for school ran out, and he made his way home. It was around this time that Chris and some of his siblings made radio commercials for Ernie Von Schledorn, Heiser Ford, and Patrick Cudahy wieners!

Chris joined the family business of tool and die, alongside his dad Chuck and brother Rick for a few years. He then returned to school to pursue a business degree at Marquette University. It was there that the start of the Vietnam War encouraged him to enlist in Army ROTC. He excelled in this endeavor, graduating #1 of 900 cadets in his basic training camp! He was invited to be part of the Army Rangers School. He declined and was then ordered to be part of the engineers building bridges in front of our troops. After a short time of service, he was honorably discharged due to medical reasons.

Chris also met Patty during this time. It didn’t take long for him to know she was the love of his life, and they married the summer after he graduated from Marquette. They had three girls and lived in Germantown. They have been married for 57 years.

His passion for music, his kindness, and his service to others continued at Good Shepard Church. Chris enjoyed being part of the 9:15 music group, comprised of guitars, a base, piano and wonderful harmonies, as well as his infamous whistling solos. The group was legendary in the parish at the time. After mass, he would frequently befriend some of the people from the group home next door, inviting them to be a part of his family activities.

After college, Chris returned to the family business. Under his and his brother’s leadership, Toolcraft grew into a successful company. To Chris, it wasn’t enough just to be a small business owner. He strongly believed in getting involved and making a difference. He served as president of the Tool, Die & Machining Association of Wisconsin, working diligently to drive positive change in the tool building trade. He wrote regularly to his legislators about the importance of keeping domestic manufacturing alive and instigated what eventually became the first lien law for special tools.  He spoke to high school classes about the opportunities available in the skilled trades and developed a work cooperative with local high schools.

Chris wasn’t afraid to bet on himself, both in his work and personally. One chance that paid off in spades was the purchase of an old resort log cabin at the young age of 31, way “up north” in Boulder Junction. Ultimately, it became part of the family’s roots, a gathering place deeply special to the whole family to this day.

Chris and Patty moved to Menomonee Falls in 1995. They spent their time watching their grandchildren grow, enjoying their membership at North Hills Country Club, spending time as snowbirds in Tucson, AZ, and of course being at their beloved cabin “Up North.”

One of the many gifts Chris gave us was his outlook on life. When asked, “Hey Dad, how are you?,” even in the most difficult of times, he always answered with a resounding, “I’m great!” even when he clearly wasn’t. To use the words of Dr. Suess:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Thank you for being OUR HERO.

While you will be sorely missed, we will smile because we were lucky enough to have you in our lives and forever in our hearts.

Visitation to be held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin, from 4:00 PM to 5:45 PM. Service with Remembrances to follow at 6:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at St. James Catholic Church, W220N6588 Town Line Road, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations appreciated to the Wounded Warrior Project.