Janet “Jan” Brusky

Janet Brusky

August 10, 1936 – August 18, 2026

Greenfield, Wisconsin

Jan Brusky (née Quade) left this Earth on August 18th, 2026, shortly after celebrating her 90th birthday. Fittingly, she chose the anniversary of her husband Jim’s birthday in which to do so.

She grew up in Watertown, Wisconsin, the only child of Ronald Quade and Violette Eiffler Quade. She attended UW-Milwaukee and was active in the music program, playing viola in the orchestra, and oboe in the woodwind quintet and in the band. It was here that she met her lifelong friends Barb Whalley (later Suetholz) and Frank Suetholz, both flutists. It was also here that she met James Brusky, her future husband, himself a musician.

They fell in love, married, and lived in Milwaukee while Jim finished his degree. Then they moved to the small town of Clinton, Wisconsin where he worked as a music teacher/band director, and Jan gave piano lessons. It was here they started a family. Ron was born in 1958, followed by their only daughter, Sue, in 1961. In Clinton they made more wonderful friends, especially the Websters and Knutsons.

After John was born in 1968, they moved their family to an old farmhouse in Greenfield, Wisconsin. It was love at first sight. Five bedrooms and a large yard—room enough for an ever-expanding garden. The vision of canning tomatoes and freezing corn must have danced in her head when she saw it.

Tom was born not long after the move, completing our family of six. Growing up in a musical family, Jim would play polkas, while Jan would play classical music. We kids grew up steeped in both, with everything else in between, as we pursued our respective musical pathways, with their blessing.

In Greenfield, Jan made more excellent friends. She happened to be surrounded by good people: Hanzels, Bergins, Hamburgers, Fuelings, Dauks, and Minsters. Jan and the old farmhouse she lived in for over 50 years were synonymous with the word “home.” It was the family’s gathering place, where you could always find love, laughter, and good food. If there is one word we’ve heard to describe her from those who knew her over her lifetime, it’s “kindness.” She was an exceptionally kind woman to so many people whose lives she touched.

We would like to thank the in-home caregivers over the past couple of years who helped her stay in her beloved home as long as she did. We would also like to thank the staff at Harbour Village memory care in Greendale for taking good care of her these past nine months. And we’d like to thank the doctors, nurses, and CNAs at Froedtert for their care of her during her last week before she passed.

Special thanks must go out to Tom, for helping manage her household when she no longer could, and to John, who spent countless hours caring for her personally, found every way imaginable to keep her in her home as long as possible, and made the hard healthcare decisions when she no longer could.

Jan is survived by her children Ron Brusky (Cathy), Sue Borowski, John Brusky (special friend Tracy Radmer), and Tom Brusky, granddaughter Larisa Brusky, grandsons Nathan Borowski and Diego Brusky, and many other relatives, extended family, and friends.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Jim, beloved in-laws Harry and Adele Brusky, Ray and Virgie Brusky, Vernon Brusky, and Dick and Maxine Westein. We can’t imagine the card game going on in Heaven right now.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date.

She was the heart, the center of our family. She was the sun the rest of us revolved around. She will be deeply missed by all her knew her.

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