Roberto Rangel

Roberto Rangel

“Rangel”

Rode into the sunset, on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, age 75. Loving Husband of Linda for 25 years. Cherished Father of Raquel Vargas, Robert G. Rangel. Stepfather of Hannah (David) Bagha. Proud Grandfather of Ricardo Vargas Jr., Arturo Rangel, Madeline and Allison Bagha. Beloved Brother of Guadalupe Martinez. Special Tio of Joseph, Linda and Steven Martinez. Further survived by many other family members and special friends.

He always found a way to enjoy life and family. Growing up, he and his family had some challenges. He once said he remembered feeling hungry. He took that feeling that he remembered and made sure his children never felt that way. He spent some years in Laredo, TX but grew up mostly in East Chicago, IN, where we still have relatives. He moved to Milwaukee with his mother & sisters when he was 10 years old. He had plenty of family here too. Many of his cousins were more like brothers and sisters. His first marriage was in May 1969, and he left for Vietnam one week later.

His time there was mostly in a clerical capacity, like Radar from MASH, he once said. He had a dog and a pet monkey while he was there. The monkey’s name was “Specialist 5 Clarence Monk”—even though it was a female (haha). He made many friends during his time there. It’s not something he really talked about with his family. His kids used to go through the slides he had and project them on the wall every now and then. Most of those were of fun times. We all know it wasn’t all fun.

When he returned, he began working at Metal Spinners and then he went to Harley for a few years. He eventually ended up at Miller Brewery. He worked there for 32 years and retired in 2006. He made many life-long friends there and enjoyed attending retiree lunches and meeting back up with his old buddies.

His daughter was born in Milwaukee in 1971 and his son in 1975. He was a great father, teacher, and provider, always making sure his family had what they needed. Summers were full of family picnics at a local lake with all the cousins and Tia’s and Tio’s. He taught his kids how to take a proper road trip and the rules of the road including how to talk to the truckers on the CB radio. They drove all over–Florida, New Orleans, Oklahoma, New Mexico, California, South Dakota, to name a few. He fashioned a console that fit between the front seats of his vans. It was big enough to put a small TV on top and hold the Atari gaming console inside. He even managed to find a way to plug the Atari into the cigarette lighter so his kids could play on the road. And the annual trips up to Pickerel Lake for a week every summer with all the neighbors was always a blast. Boating, fishing, tubing on the lake or down a river, horseback riding and going to Paul Bunyan’s for breakfast upon arrival to Minocqua.

He loved to bowl at places like Silver City, Southview Lanes, Bay View Bowl and Classic lanes. He also enjoyed riding his Harley. He’s been to Sturgis many times, Daytona Bike Week, Kentucky rallies, yearly Poker Runs and many other motorcycle events. He always had a custom van or some sort of “cool” car—Chargers, Trans AMs, a Barracuda and the Mustang. He loved to watch the Packers and enjoyed many Brewers games and tailgate parties.

He was often the “beer guy” for parties since he worked at Miller and could use the employee beer store. He really enjoyed a good gathering of family and friends with lots of beers and lots of laughs.

He remarried in 1998 and has shared 32 years with his wife, and partner in crime, Linda. Linda came with a daughter, Hannah, who he welcomed into his heart. They have had many adventures—many bike rallies, New Orleans, New Mexico, and their favorite spots in Mexico—Cancun and Cabo. Their last trip was to Greece.

He received the gift of life in November 2014 when he received 2 new lungs from an anonymous donor. His family was so thankful the transplant was possible and thankful that they got another 9 years with him after. We are also thankful for the Transplant Team at Froedtert Hospital–Dr. Dolan and his team. And his cardiologist (who he loved) Dr. Jim Kleczka. He said “all doctors should be like Dr. Kleczka” because he was always kind and made him feel heard.

The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to Linda for taking such good care of him after his transplant, especially the past couple years. There was a lot to manage, and she did it like a pro!!! And we all know how stubborn he could be LOL.

Thank you to all the friends and family who have reached out to express condolences, kindness, love, and admiration. Many people have reached out to share memories and how “cool” they always thought he was and how they looked up to him. Or different ways he helped people out over the years.

Gathering will be held at Krause Funeral Home, 12401 West National Drive, New Berlin, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, 4:00 PM – 5:45 PM. Service at 6:00 PM.

He will be so deeply missed by so many. But we know he’ll be riding his Harley to every corner of Heaven.

RIP Roberto “Bob” “Rangel” Rangel…you will always be in our hearts.

To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Roberto Rangel, please visit our Tribute Store.