Keith J. Streitenberger

Keith J Streitenberger, age 68, passed through the pearly gates of Heaven on Sunday May 12, 2024.  He fought hard during his 7-month cancer battle and now is in a better place without all the pain and other challenges.  Oh, we will miss that man!

He was born in Milwaukee on May 15, 1955, son of George and Rita (Rheaume) Streitenberger.  He grew up in Brookfield and attended St Dominic’s Catholic Grade School.  It is amusing to picture Keith as an altar boy and boys’ choir member!  He graduated from Brookfield East in 1973 and was often referred to as the leader of the pack.

On July 19, 1980 he married his best friend, Cindy Depies, at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Dacada. Together they enjoyed many, many adventures and wrote numerous chapters in the Keith/Cindy diary.  They had two daughters: Kristen of Wauwatosa, and Kari (Jordan) Johnson of Iron Ridge.  Keith loved spending time with his three grandchildren: Leni and Jax Johnson, and Brooks Streitenberger.

He is survived by brothers Dale (Marti) of Elm Grove, Gary (Joan) of Pound; a sister, Janis Repech of Greenfield; brothers-in-law, Terry (Linda) of Antigo, Rick of Dacada, Jeff (Theresa) of Springbrook, Pat (Misti) of Dacada; sister-in-law, Sherri (Mark) of Oconto; aunt/godmother, Joan (Larry) Balistreri of Milwaukee; uncle/godfather, Dick Rheaume of Phoenix, AZ.  Numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Richie and Ethel Ann Depies, brothers-in-law Tom Depies and John Repech.

He was a loving and dedicated father to his two daughters.  Always there to support their sports and school activities.  From coaching softball, to practicing soccer skills, heading to the driving range, and many hours in the batting cage.  As they grew up, he was always the go-to for remodeling projects and home improvements.

The list of Keith’s interests is long.  He was a man always looking to learn something new and have fun doing it.  He was a “thinker” which made him a great problem solver and created some very creative solutions.  His grandfather was a cabinet/furniture-maker and his father was an electrician.  That deep interest in the trades led him to being a construction builder/developer for the past 20+ years.  He has been a commercial construction project manager and built Hobby Lobby, CVS, Hardees, Chi Chi’s and other buildings.  Most recently he was building single-family homes, tons of remodels, and 2 fairly large condo projects.  In addition to giving anyone a hand when needed.

Prior to becoming a builder, Keith was an executive in the restaurant industry.  Through him we all learned a lot about Hardee Swiss Mushroom Burgers, how to make a perfect Einstein Bagel, and his Chi Chi burritos were a work of art.  But the best were the Chi Chi margaritas (LPRs)!  Many of us have enjoyed some crazy times in the Keith Margaritaville world.

Keith’s first true love (before Cindy) was anything to do with flying….  He was a private pilot, corporate pilot (this is how he was introduced to Chi Chi’s), a charter pilot, flight instructor, etc.  He had such a steady and calm hand when flying – even in a wicked cross wind.  That love of flying lead Keith to become an air traffic controller – until President Ronald Reagan fired him in 1980 (PATCO strike)!

Keith always noted his hot air balloon flying was the most rewarding.  A huge shout out to his hot air balloon crew who got up at 4 AM to help Streits accumulate enough balloon flying hours for his license.  And for the many hours spent chasing the balloon to ensure a safe landing.  Lots of turn arounds (with a balloon trailer attached to the truck) when chasing something driven by the wind and you are trying to navigate country roads while anticipating where he will land!  Keith did a lot of Chi Chi promo balloon rides and events which lead to numerous trips to the Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, Calgary Stampede, and other festivals.

Sports….  There was no end to Keith’s interest and talent.  Whether he was playing football or tavern league baseball, or an avid fan – he was all in.  He played many, many golf tournaments, was a Packers Season Ticket Holder for 20+ years, NASCAR and Indy fan, attended numerous Super Bowls, a hunter, snowmobiler, ski instructor, longtime Harley rider, and if you count playing poker as a sport – we can include that!

Keith and Cindy purchased their first sailboat together while they were just dating.  Keith bought the boat; Cindy bought the trailer.  They figured that would make it easier to liquidate if they ever broke up!  Keith installed the best sound system and many hours were spent sailing Lake Michigan with a drink in hand and rocking to the tunes.

One of Keith’s more unique jobs was as a wedding officiant.  He officiated two weddings and really felt honored to have been asked.  Music was another love.  He attended many concerts and had season tickets at Alpine Valley for three seasons.  Lots of crazy times listening to music under the stars.

Keith’s family has a longtime attachment to Door County.  In 2017 he and Cindy built their dream house north of Sturgeon Bay.  Given all the construction experience he had, this was the first time he had a house built for himself.  It is easy to see the extra special details he added to each step of the construction process.

And then there came fishing….  Keith always liked to fish and he dove in hook-line-and-sinker! He made many amazing memories while fishing.  Of course he was thrilled to catch the big one, but he also treasured just trolling or casting while enjoying the water.  And the smiles and laughs he’d have when reliving a specific fishing event with one of his buddies were priceless.

Throughout Keith’s life and many interests, he gathered a large group of friends.  His “people” range in age, interests, and social status.  One thing they all have in common is they each were lucky enough to have Keith cross their path and create a love and friendship of a lifetime.

A visitation will be held from 2:00 PM – 4:45 PM on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin.  A Celebration of Life will follow at 5:00 PM with a light dinner and drinks after.  The Celebration of Life service will be available via live streaming.  See the link below for more information.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 20^th at St. Charles Catholic Church, 313 Circle Drive, Hartland.  Visitation will precede mass beginning at 10:00 AM.  Burial will be held at St Nicolas Cemetery, Dacada, following mass.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the charity of your choice in Keith’s name.