Arthur L. “Art” Kabelowsky, 94, of Sussex, passed away Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in home hospice following a brief illness.
He was born on Aug. 3, 1931, in Milwaukee, to the late Arthur and Agnes (Freitag) Kabelowsky. After attending Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, Art entered the Air Force in 1949 and served in Europe, attaining the rank of Airman First Class before receiving an honorable discharge in 1952.
He returned to Milwaukee to work at the family’s bar, then owned and operated the Spanish Gardens in Milwaukee and the Villager in Bayside.
He married Georgianna Stathis on May 9, 1959, though their honeymoon drive to Las Vegas, Nevada, was cut short when their car broke down in Kansas City. Their son, Arthur D. Kabelowsky, was born Feb. 18, 1960. Their daughter, Sandra M. Kabelowsky, was born Feb. 15, 1962.
Art took a job with the wholesale beer distributor Tiffany Distributing, Inc., in Milwaukee, starting as a route driver and salesman. He finished his career as a sales representative serving large accounts for Beer Capitol in Sussex.
Art paid special attention to the Hamm’s brand, often leading his colleagues in sales of the brand. He earned multiple awards and prizes and was invited multiple times to franchisee meetings at the brewery headquarters in St. Paul, Minn. For the rest of his life, his most favored clothes carried Hamm’s logos. Hamm’s mugs, posters and other memorabilia were on display all around his home.
Georgianna Kabelowsky passed on March 31, 1979. Art married Janet Schmidt on May 30, 1987, and they enjoyed multiple sightseeing trips to almost all 50 states. When Janet was diagnosed with dementia, Art doted over her at home, serving as her primary caregiver for more than two years until she passed on Feb. 8, 2014.
Art loved following the Green Bay Packers and the NFL — he bet a $2 bill on every Super Bowl with his twin sister, Carol Maertz — and rarely missed a Milwaukee Brewers game on television or radio.
When the Milwaukee Braves won the 1957 World Series, he sneaked into the parade on his hands and knees, pushing a peanut down Wisconsin Avenue with his nose. The way Art told the tale: When a policeman approached him to ask what he was doing, Art said, “I lost a bet,” and the officer nodded and allowed him to proceed.
Art joined his Friday night bowling teammate, Joe Villareal, to win the Waukesha County doubles championship in 1975. The following year, he entered the pro-am event at the Professional Bowlers’ Association Miller Open at Bowlero in Wauwatosa. Art outscored future Hall of Fame bowler Mark Roth in the first game — but, as he said it, “not the other two (games), by a longshot.”
Upon his retirement, Art created and sold wood products such as Adirondack chairs, benches and other items under the name “Art and Jan’s Wood Crafts.” His work was so popular that his entire basement was converted to cutting, sanding and finishing workstations. He still found time to make many cherished items for his children, including a magnificent bassinet for his grandson Alex and a full-sized oak entertainment center for his son Art.
Art also took special joy from traveling to visit relatives around the state and region, taking trips with family and friends, entertaining relatives and neighbors at his home, and building wooden furniture and knick-knacks as gifts for family and friends.
Art’s terrible spelling was a source of entertainment for family members — he liked to write dashes after each word so you could be sure a new word was coming. But his math skills were unmatched, whether calculating discounts on bulk beer sales or figuring where to saw each board to result in a perfect fit.
Although he was diagnosed legally blind and deaf in his later years, Art maintained a busy daily routine at home. He cooked his own meals, did his own dishes and laundry, and thought nothing of hopping onto his mobility scooter and riding it down the Bug Line Trail to Piggly Wiggly or his doctor’s office.
He enjoyed playing a few daily rounds of cribbage on his computer, where he once was thrilled to achieve a “perfect score” with a hand of 29 points. A constant companion was his Books for the Blind audio player, which (quite loudly) read to him from a constantly changing rotation of history, thriller and mystery audiobooks that kept his mind sharp.
Art is survived by two children, Arthur D. Kabelowsky and Sandra M. Wissing; one grandchild, Alexander A. Wissing; one step-grandchild, John Schmidt; two brothers, Gerald (Nancy) Kabelowsky and Wayne Kabelowsky; many nieces, nephews and other beloved relatives; and many special friends.
Art was also preceded in death by brother, Brian Kabelowsky; sisters, Carol Maertz, Karin Walther and Andrea Abel; sisters-in-law, Barbara Kabelowsky and Mary Kabelowsky; and brothers-in-law, Robert Maertz, Timothy Walther and Michael Abel.
Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 1, at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, W250 N6505 Hwy. 164, Sussex. Family and friends will be invited to share words of remembrance at 1 p.m. A reception will follow, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Sussex Civic Center’s Grove Maple Room, N64 W23760 Main Street.
Memorials are welcome.