As received from the Englewood Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service. If you have questions about, or potential corrections to the content, please contact the funeral home directly.
Katherine Gustafson Baillargeon of Englewood, FL passed away Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the age of 69. Katherine was a talented, kind and generous person, admired for her passion for goodness and truth, wherever she lived or worked.
She is survived by her partner and husband of 35 years, Jim Scherer, and her sisters Mary (Robert) Carlson of Green Bay, WI and Christine (Paul) Bissett of Hartford, WI. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Leona and Gordon Gustafson of Hancock, MI.
Katherine grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and graduated as Valedictorian from Hancock Central High School in 1974. She received a scholarship to Western Michigan University and completed her master’s degree in urban planning at the University of Texas in Austin.
Kathy moved to Milwaukee from Austin and served as the Executive Director of the Historic Third Ward, a warehouse district which she helped turn into a flourishing neighborhood adjacent to downtown Milwaukee. She also led the Greater Mitchell St. Association, and the Milwaukee Christian Center which aided the low-and moderate-income community in the city. She received several awards and commendations from the governing bodies of Milwaukee County and City of Milwaukee.
Kathy was the loving stepmother of Amy Scherer (Christopher Schwob) of Des Moines and Dr. Brendan Scherer (Jason Mousel) of San Francisco. She was also the step grandmother to Dr. Vaughan Schwob (Annika Hogstrom) of Columbus, OH, and Henry Schwob of Iowa City.
She was the caring and fun-loving auntie and great auntie to Ryan Carlson (Julie Rolfs), Kate Carlson (James Welch), Anna (Ross) Kain, Benjamin (Jessica) Bissett, Elizabeth (Nathan) Roethle, and their kids Evelyn, Penelope, Madelyn, Mackenzie, and Brooks.
Katherine was an active member of Community Presbyterian Church in Englewood, and served as Deacon, Elder, and in a host of other positions. She served on the Board of Directors of Englewood Meals on Wheels. She was also an active member of the Englewood Resistance and the Englewood Shell Club. She officiated the weddings of her nieces and nephew, and almost above all was a devoted fan of the Green Bay Packers.
Katherine suffered for years from scleroderma, a rare disease which affects the body’s connective tissue, heart and lungs, and for which there is no cure. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to National Scleroderma Foundation, P.O. Box 411533, Boston, MA 02241-1533. Donations can also be made online at http://www.scleroderma.org/donate.
Memorial services will be held at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 1100 N. Astor St., Milwaukee, WI at 10:30 a.m., on August 22, 2026. A Celebration of Life will be held immediately thereafter at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee at 631 E. Chicago St
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