Lisette Kautzmann

Lisette was born on December 24, 1931 in Chicago, IL to her parents Francis and Lisette (Spiel) Reckitt. She grew up in Wilmette, IL with her sister and brothers. As a little girl she enjoyed her ballet and tap lessons and summers at the Lake Michigan shore. She graduated from New Trier High school in 1949.

She moved to Milwaukee, WI to attend Milwaukee Downer College making lifelong friends, Jane Savitt, Pat Sonnleitner, Janet Chermak, Jackie Dungar-Bertram, Ann Crone and Joan Andropolis. They graduated in 1953.

She then moved to Oshkosh, WI working at Winnebago State Hospital and Theda Clark Hospital as an Occupational Therapist. In 1971 she moved back to Milwaukee where she earned her Master’s degree and her Doctorate in Education. After working at UWM she had the opportunity to work at Eastern Kentucky University for a semester. They invited her to return where she then spent a very happy 19 years teaching. Meeting Penny Benzing and Joy Anderson as well as many special friends she still held dear. In 1986 she was made a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and in 2000 they also gave her a Leadership Service Commendation.

Upon retiring in 2004 she moved back to WI where she continued her membership in AOTA and joined AAUW. She enjoyed reading, writing articles and editing for the Journal of Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, and, at the end, she truly enjoyed her Kindle.

Lisette was preceded in death by her 2 husbands. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Antkowiak; sister, Catharine (Stan) Poremba and their children, Mark (Amy) Poremba and their daughter, Ally, Patty Poremba and Julie (Murray) Propes; 2 brothers and sister-in-law, Jean Reckitt-Castillo.

Special thanks to her Nurse Michelle Abrahamson from Home Health, her Doctor Gould and everyone at the wound clinic, as well as everyone on team Lisette.

A celebration of her life will be held in the future.