Jeanne Marie Lawlor, 78, was born in Elkhorn on Oct. 28, 1947, and passed away on Feb. 24, 2026, at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn after a sudden unexpected medical event at home.
Jeanne was the third of nine children born to Harlow and Iris (nee Williams) Leonard. She was raised in Elkhorn and graduated from Elkhorn High School in 1965. She then attended UW Whitewater for two years and studied business.
On April 4, 1970, Jeanne married David John Lawlor at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. They had two sons and lived in East Troy for all of their 55 years of marriage.
Jeanne is survived by her loving husband and their sons Robert and Bradley Lawlor, both of East Troy. Also left to cherish her memory are six siblings Richard (Susan) Leonard of Delavan, Geraldine (Stephen) Polyock of Zenda, Patricia Wilson of East Troy, Mary (James) Wierzba of Janesville, Linda (Charles) Goes of Delavan, and William (Wendy) Leonard of Burlington; and sisters-in-law Ann Williams of Darien and Karen Lawlor of Hartland. In addition to many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, and other family members, Jeanne is further survived by close high school classmates, former co-workers, and friends.
Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents; sister Diane and brother-in-law Robert Nelson; brother Kenneth Leonard; brother-in-law Robert Wilson; niece Rebecca Leonard; and father and mother-in-law Joseph and Marie Lawlor.
Jeanne was a “stay at home” mom while her boys were small. She later reentered the workforce and was employed in banking for more than thirty years in Elkhorn, East Troy, Burlington, and Lake Geneva. Her quickness and accuracy with numbers, as well as her beautiful penmanship, were assets in work.
A loving and devoted mother to Robert and Bradley, Jeanne was an ardent fan at their sporting events, loved to hear about their experiences and adventures, and was proud of their achievements. She was their lifelong cheerleader and was always there to do whatever they needed from her without hesitation.
Jeanne was the “manager of household affairs” and took wonderful care of David and the boys. She took on the expanded role of caregiver for David as he experienced several major health issues in recent years. She willingly learned how to do procedures that were once only done in a hospital. In addition, with Jeanne’s help, David’s mother was able to stay in her own home passed her 100th birthday.
A good part of Jeanne’s typical day was spent taking special care of her “grand-dog Klutch”, just as she had for Tara and Barney before him. She worked crossword puzzles and word searches, enjoyed needlepoint, reading, and going to “Cruise Nights” at Gus’s with her 1989 Firebird Formula and 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix. Jeanne also found time to do ceramic works as many of her pieces are displayed throughout their home. Her big love was “bingo”, and she was really lucky at it! She also made the best chocolate chip cookies…ask anyone who ever ate one!
Jeanne had a remarkable memory for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and deaths of family members. No one was surprised to get a thoughtful phone call on any of these special days. Jeanne’s family and friends are going to miss her generous, cheerful, and kind spirit.
A visitation will take place on Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral service at Noon at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, 930 Main St. in Mukwonago.
In lieu of flowers, you may consider making a donation to HAWS www.hawspets.org/ or a charity of your choice.
“Ma -You were the glue that kept this family together. You will be dearly missed. Love you. Rest in peace.” David