Obituaries are a service of Brainard Funeral Home & Cremation Center, with locations in Wausau and Weston.
Kathleen “Kathy” Parrott
Kathleen “Kathy” C. Parrott, 75, Wausau, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Wausau, Wisconsin, after a brief illness.
She was born June 28, 1945, in Virginia, daughter of the late John and Mary (Collins) Coulouris. In 1956, she moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Loyalsock High School, attended Penn State University, then moved to Boston and attended Simmons College to obtain her Masters in Business Administration. She worked as a financial analyst for Gillette Corp. and Shawmut Bank. During her marriage of 10 years, she traveled the world extensively. After her marriage, she moved to Charlestown and worked as a realtor for many years. She retired after working for an antique dealership and in 2013 moved to Wausau to be near family.
Kathy had a wide variety of interests and hobbies, including gardening, antiquing, crossword puzzles and reading. She had an eclectic collection of books and art in her home. She loved decorating her Charlestown townhouse and hosted annual Christmas parties that are still remembered by her Boston friends.
Kathy never missed watching a Boston sporting event, as she was a proud fan. She also followed college football, always rooting for her alma mater, Penn State. Kathy traveled extensively. Paris, Spain, the Caribbean, Cape Cod and New Orleans were among her favorite trips.
Throughout her life, Kathy had many dear friends and continued to stay in touch with them wherever she lived. She had a lifetime love of cats and rescued many that became her family. Kathy’s family and friends will miss her quick smile, conversations about nearly everything, her warm nature and the way she made everyone feel important and loved.
Survivors include her brother, William Coulouris, Port St. Lucie, Florida, sister, Connie Anderson, Gilbert, Arizona, and sister-in-law, Barbara Coulouris, Wausau, Wisconsin, aunts and uncles, Beatrice Davis, Jack Marshall and Edith Marshall, nieces and nephews, Cheryl Fay and her children, Ryan, Sean and Stephanie, Kevin Coulouris, Keith Coulouris and his children, Jackson and Alec, Lisa Anderson, Jack Anderson Jr. and wife, Niamh and children, Ciara and Owen, and many cousins. Kathy was especially close to her sister-in-law, Barb and her cousins, Eleanor, Billy and Charlie. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by aunts, uncles, many cousins and Paul Fay, niece Cheryl’s husband.
A public memorial visitation will be held from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, at the Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 Sixth St., Wausau. Social distancing guidelines will be in place and face masks are required by everyone who attends. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Humane Society of Marathon County, 7001 Packer Drive, Wausau, WI 54401.
Paul Bruss
Paul D. Bruss, 71, of Wausau went to his eternal rest on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, at his home after a 2 ½-year battle with metastatic prostate cancer.
He was born in Green Bay on July 16, 1949, to Wilber and Helen (Johnson) Bruss. As a youngster, Paul grew up on the family dairy farm in rural Denmark. Paul learned early what it was to work hard, something that taught him a good work ethic for his future jobs.
He attended Manitowoc Lutheran High School where he achieved more than 1,000 points in his high school basketball career. He went on to Bethany Junior College and Mankato State Minnesota where he received a degree in physical education and health. Paul’s path took him down retail management, working at Fleet Farm for 22 years and Petco for 18 years. After retiring, Paul worked at Helkes as a funeral assistant. On Dec. 28, 1974, he married Pauline Henningsen at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Denmark.
Paul was an avid golfer who liked to try new courses and usually would come home with more golf balls than he started with. He enjoyed watching the Green Bay Packers and was a season ticket holder for many years. Paul also enjoyed watching the Badgers, Brewers and pro golf. He took pride in his children and grandchildren’s sporting events, encouraging them to always do their best and work hard. For 35 years, Paul attended the Boys State Basketball Tournament and March Madness was a season in his life. Never one to sit still, Paul liked going to the gym and doing yard work which he never considered a chore. He loved to grill and never a summer day went by that Paul wouldn’t ask “What are we having on the grill tonight?” Paul was a faithful member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Wausau, where he served on various ministry boards and attended Bible study.
He is survived by his wife, Pauline of Wausau, three children. Rhonda (Garrett) Mohr, Menasha, Rebecca (Brian) Turner, Cincinnati, Ohio, Matthew (Dana) Bruss, Wausau, seven grandchildren, Cason, Kelsie and Tyler Mohr, Jacob, Rachel, and Andrew Turner, and Dylan Bruss with a new grandbaby arriving in January. Paul is further survived by his brother, Carl (Mary Jane) Bruss, Mishicot, sister-in-law, Vida Bruss, Green Bay, in-laws, Pat Henningsen, Janet Henningsen, Keith and Mary Henningsen and Joe and Mary Beth Hawley, his aunt, Eleanor Halbeck and nieces, nephews, cousins and many good friends and neighbors that he was fond of. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Rachel, his parents, Wilbur and Helen, brother, Harold and in-laws, Arnold and Hazel Henningsen.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 501 Stewart Ave., Wausau. Reverend Zach Holdorf will officiate. We invite you to join a live stream of Paul’s funeral ceremony beginning at 12:50 p.m. on Monday. To join the live stream, please go to the bottom of Paul’s obituary at www.helke.com. Burial will take place at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday at the East Danish Cemetery, Denmark, Wisconsin. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, at the Helke Funeral Home, 302 Spruce St., Wausau, and again at the church on Monday from 11 a.m. until the time of services. You may sign our family guest book at helke.com. Social distancing will be observed and facemasks required..
We would like to thank Ascension Hospice, Dr. Adedayo Onitilo and the staff at Marshfield Cancer Care for all the support, care and kindness they gave Paul and our family.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family to be allocated to organizations important to Paul.
Diane Larson
Diane K. Larson (Johnson), 71, of Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, and formerly of Superior, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Sept. 21, 2020.
Diane was born in Superior, Wisconsin, on Feb. 28, 1949, the daughter of Warren and Rita Johnson. After graduating from Cathedral High School, Diane went on to earn her Bachelor of Education from University of Wisconsin – Superior. She served her community for many years as a substitute teacher in the Superior School District before becoming a full-time teacher at Cathedral School, where she worked until her retirement.
With a laugh that could be heard across Lake Nebagamon, Diane is described as a caring and hard-working woman. She could be found humming cheerfully as she did yard work, golfing, or enjoying happy hour with her friends. Diane had a long, loving partnership with her husband Larry. Not only did they participate in a couple’s golf league at Pattison Park Golf Course, they also organized and directed the longest running fantasy football league in the world. Most important to her though was her family, particularly her dearly loved grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two infant daughters; and her loving husband Larry A. Larson.Diane is survived by a loving family including her three children, Steven (Melissa) Larson of St. Augustine, Florida, Carrie (Jason) Keup of Plover, Wisconsin, and Beth (Lee) Olson of Minot, North Dakota; eight grandchildren; three sisters, Barbara Kozak, Mary Thompson, and Christine Schellpfeffer; four brothers, Mark Johnson, Michael Johnson, Dean Johnson and Brian Johnson; and many brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family has decided not to have a funeral service at this time and asks that in lieu of flowers, any donations be made in Diane’s name towards the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at https://www.alzheimersresearchfoundation.com.
