Jerold “Jerry” Robert Thiel passed peacefully on April 6, 2026, surrounded by the family he loved so deeply. It was a fitting farewell for a man who gave so much of himself to those around him. He has now been reunited in heaven with his beloved sons, Eric and Michael.

Born May 14, 1949, to Royce and Ida Thiel, Jerry grew up with roots that ran deep. He began his working life at the George Banta Printing Company while still in high school and remained devoted to his work there through a long and proud career until his retirement. He also answered the call to serve his country, completing a tour of duty with the United States Army in Vietnam, a chapter of his life that reflected his quiet courage and sense of duty.

For nearly 55 years, Jerry shared his life with the love of his life, Nancy (née Talarczyk). Their partnership was the steady heartbeat of a full and beautiful life together.

Jerry’s passions were simple, wholehearted, and lifelong. As a young caddy at North Shore Golf Club, he discovered his boundless enthusiasm for golf. Equally at home with a fishing rod, he tied his own flies as a boy and carried that love of the water all his life, eventually passing it on to his sons and grandsons. Teaching them to fish, watching them learn and light up, was one of his great joys. Many summers were spent at Boot Lake, camping with family and friends who returned year after year because being with Jerry simply felt like belonging somewhere good.

In retirement, Jerry embraced gardening with the same dedication he brought to everything he loved. His gardens became a source of deep pride, beautiful and carefully tended, a living expression of the patience and care he brought to everything he did.

And then there were cards. Raised in a family where card games were a contact sport, full of laughter, loud arguments, and the particular joy of people who love each other fiercely, Jerry carried that tradition all his life. The games were never really about cards.

Above all, Jerry cherished the children in his life. He was the kind of person they were drawn to, patient, playful, and genuinely interested in who they were. When his son Eric passed away, Jerry poured himself into his twin grandsons Nick and Royce with a devotion that went beyond the role of grandfather. He was their steady presence, their teacher, their safe space. The bond they shared was one of the defining relationships of his life. That Nick and Royce grew into the men they are today is a testament to everything Jerry gave them.

“Thank you, grandpa, for teaching me how to be a good man. I only hope that I can be just like you.”                                         --Nicholas, at his grandfather’s bedside.

There is no higher tribute, and no more complete portrait of who Jerry Thiel was.

SURVIVED BY

His beloved wife, Nancy Thiel; grandchildren Royce, Nicholas, Farrah, Sierra, and Breanne; great-grandson Theodore “Teddy”; Stephanie (Brian) Rackus; brother Paul (Sue) Thiel; sister Sue Hoks; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Kay (Dan) Reagles, June Slack, Nick (Mary) Talarczyk, Sharon (Jay) VanStiphout; many cherished nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

PRECEDED IN DEATH BY

His parents, Royce and Ida Thiel; sons Eric and Michael Thiel; sister Ellen (Jerry) Retzlaff; brothers-in-law Bob Hoks and Larry Slack.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 6:00 at Wichmann Funeral Home-Laemmrich Chapel, 312 Milwaukee Street, Menasha. Friends and family may gather at the funeral home from 4:00pm until the service begins.