H. Steven Schatz

MADISON-H. Steven Schatz, age 82, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, at his home in Madison. His son David was with him. Steve was born in West Bend, Wis., on Dec. 4, 1935, the son of Harold and Daisy Schatz. After graduating from West Bend High School, he attended the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana. It was there, on a blind date, that he met Mary Hanafin from Chicago, a political science major. They were married in 1957, had four children, and were together for 56 years until Mary died in 2013. Steve became interested in architecture when as a college freshman taking a summer class at the University of Wisconsin, he got to meet Frank Lloyd Wright at the architect’s studio in Spring Green, Wis. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1960, became a licensed architect three years later, and practiced in Champaign, Milwaukee, and, for forty years, in Madison. Professionally, he was a very dedicated member of the Madison Chapter of Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) for many years, serving as President, Treasurer, and Secretary. He continued to be an active board member right up until his death. He took flight lessons to become a licensed single-engine pilot while in college. As a young architect in Champaign, he often flew to construction sites in Wisconsin and Michigan. He liked to tell stories of how he navigated through harrowing stormy conditions. His son Mark fondly remembers accompanying him on some of the trips in the copilot seat when he was five years old. Steve had a lifelong love of trains. He was an avid collector of Lionel O-Gauge model trains ever since he was a boy in West Bend. He loved to ride on trains, chase them, photograph them, and read all about them. His sons remember him once driving 80 miles an hour on a narrow two-lane road to catch up to a speeding steam locomotive when they were young. He attended model train conventions all over the country and loved to visit railroad museums wherever he went. He loved music, both classical and jazz, and was a longtime season ticket holder at the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He liked to travel and often took driving trips to see his children on the east coast. He and Mary enjoyed genealogy and once took a trip to Pomerania, in what is now Poland, to see where his ancestors had lived. He also took trips with her to France and Great Britain, and recently spent 17 days in Italy with his son, Mark, fulfilling a lifetime ambition. Steve was a proud father and grandfather who always took an interest in what his children and grandchildren were doing. He was Pack Leader for the Cub Scout Pack 154 and Patrol Leader for Boy Scout Troop 154. He loved to attend his grandchildren’s concerts and sporting events. He had a deep concern for social justice and tried to instill consideration and fairness in his family. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary H. Schatz; daughter, Kathleen Schatz; and sister, Sondra Rockenbach. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Schatz of College Park, Md.; his son, Mark of Boston, Mass.; his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Patty of Ann Arbor, Mich.; granddaughter, Sierra Schatz of Panama; and grandson, Brendan of Ypsilanti, Mich.We’d like to thank his many colleagues at CSI for providing rides and watching out for him in his later years; the EMTs who made numerous visits for low blood sugar incidents; the Meals on Wheels program that served him for 10 years; Dr. Anne Evensen; many neighbors; and Always Best Care. Special thanks to neighbors, Steve and Mary Schmidt and Grace Duquette, for looking out for him, and Jenda and the other welcoming staff at The Green Lantern Restaurant. Please join us for a Celebration of Steve's life at the GUNDERSON FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Diabetes Association. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420