Phyllis D. Petarius

Phyllis D. Petarius of Waukesha passed away on Thursday, June 11, 2025 following her courageous battle with cancer and dementia at the age of 87. She was born in Quincy, Massachusetts on July 18, 1937 the daughter of Joseph Ralph and Doris (Starkey) Bradshaw. Phyllis loved to sing and started singing in 1937 at the age of 5 along with her sister Beverly (age 7) into their late teens and were known as the Bradshaw Sisters. They performed on television, at the USO, with dance orchestras, at hospitals, churches and the Nova Scotia Radio Program. Phyllis also enjoyed many years of singing in her previous church choir at Holy Trinity, West Allis and treasured the lifelong friendships she made in the choir. Phyllis worked various clerical positions over the years, but her primary job was being a homemaker to her family. She found great joy in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and it was a personal mission of hers to live long enough to meet her great-grandchildren. Phyllis had a huge heart and cared deeply about others. She will always be remembered for her kind, thoughtful and loving nature and of course her love for anything chocolate, especially chocolate ice cream.

She will be sadly missed by her children, Linda (Alan) Maechtle, Richard (Nevenka) Petarius Jr., and Donna (Mark) Randall; her grandchildren Trisha (Andy) Hollander, Tyler (Amanda) Maechtle, Ana (Adam) Harvey, Richard Petarius III and Danielle Kaun, Ryan Kaun, and her great-grandchildren, Oscar Hollander and Jocelyn and Vincent Maechtle. She is further survived by other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Beverly Khoury.

A special thank you is extended to the staff and caregivers from Commonheart Hospice for the care and compassion they provided to Phyllis and her family as they traveled this journey together.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. until the 11:00 a.m. funeral service at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1415 Dopp Street, Waukesha, WI 53188. A reception will follow. Private entombment will be at Wisconsin Memorial Park in Brookfield. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Ascension Lutheran Church, Waukesha.