Doris Rose Grotkin

Doris Rose Grotkin (nee Hartung), age 90, of Greendale, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 29th, 2024 at the Zilber Family Hospice after a short illness. Doris was a kind and beautiful soul who will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Doris was born August 4th, 1933 to Clarence and Wilhelmina (Lolwing) Hartung in Cuba City, Wisconsin. The 3rd of 4 children, Doris grew up in Platteville, WI. She graduated from Platteville High School in 1951 and then earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and Math from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1955. After college she worked as a High School Math teacher in Richland Center, WI and then Monona Grove, WI. At some point a young man named Courtland Grotkin of Cuba City swept her off her feet, and they were married on June 23rd, 1962 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Platteville.

Doris and Court then moved to Milwaukee and welcomed their son David the following year. During this time, Doris found one of the many passions of her long life in golf. She was soon playing in women’s leagues and channeling her zest for life and competitive spirit into the game. Ten years later, she gave birth to her life-long “best friend” and daughter Susan and the family soon relocated to Greendale. She was a 50-year member of the Whitnall Park Women's 18 Hole Golf Club and 30+ year member of the Ives Grove Women's Golf Club. Her other hobbies over the years included bowling, various card games (especially Bridge and Sheepshead), and in her final years even took up Mahjong and organizing weekly football betting pools among her friends.

The most important thing in Doris’ life over the last 25 years however, has been her 5 cherished grandchildren. She wanted nothing more than to love them, nurture them, and spend as much time as possible watching them grow into the amazing people they are today.

Doris was predeceased by her parents, her husband Court in 2009, her two brothers Paul and Glenn Hartung, and finally by her beloved sister Jean Jones this past August, 2023. She was also predeceased by her sister-in-law Rosemary Schneider (Grotkin) and brother-in-law Jerry Jones.

She is survived by her two children, David (Anne) Grotkin of New Berlin, Wisconsin and Susan (Keith) Holzhey of San Jose, California and most importantly by her five precious grandchildren: Charles, Sophia, & Katherine Grotkin and Jaden & Madelyn-Leigh Holzhey. She is also survived by her many nieces and nephews, her sisters-in-law Rosalyn Hartung and Carole Hartung, as well as Joan Hartung. Importantly, she will be sorely missed by all her treasured friends, various golf courses, and favorite holes across south-eastern Wisconsin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Greendale. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:00 a.m. until time of Mass at 11am. Interment will follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Milwaukee. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation or similar organization.

A very special thank you to the staff of Linden Grove Communities and of Zilber Family Hospice for their compassionate care during Doris’ last months.