Fred William Schnell

Fred Schnell passed away on November 18 at Waukesha Memorial Hospital, surrounded by family. Born on January 8, 1968, Fred was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to many.

A skilled handyman, Fred had a genuine passion for building things. He loved music, model railroading, and was an avid fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. He enjoyed being funny and making people smile. Above all, Fred’s greatest passion was people. A man of few words, he spoke most powerfully through his actions. Always willing to lend a hand, Fred found true satisfaction in helping others.

He was preceded in death by his parents-in-law, W. Franklin and Dorothy (Pape) Brown; sister-in-law Eileen (Brown) Wagner; brother-in-law Terry Pavlet; and cousin Cindy (Schnell) Hill.

Fred is survived by his wife of 35 years, Janis (Brown) Schnell; their three children, Erich (Shelby) Schnell, Karlee (Zach) Roberts, and Conrad (Emily) Schnell; granddaughter Adelaide Schnell; and a soon-to-be grandson (Roberts). He is also survived by his parents, Frederick and Mary Ellen (Heise) Schnell; his siblings, Kathy (Schnell) Pavlet, Jay and Ann (Haase) Schnell; as well as a large extended family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins.

Services will be held on December 6th, 2025, at Pagenkopf Funeral Home in Oconomowoc, WI. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the service to follow at 12:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the family