Ed Clabots of Sheboygan passed away from lung cancer on Friday May 19th at the age of 79. Ed was born February 21, 1944, in Green Bay, WI. In August 1975 he married Mary Utes at Grace Episcopal Church in Sheboygan.
The youngest son of William and Agnes Amelse Clabots, he grew up on a small dairy farm in the Town of Humboldt, Brown County, WI. He attended a two-room school through eighth grade and then Luxemburg High School where he graduated as valedictorian in 1962. He attended St Norbert College and graduated from UW Stevens Point in 1967 with a degree in Education. He earned his Master’s in Education from UW Milwaukee in 1975. He taught one year in Merrill before moving to Sheboygan. After a year at Urban Middle School, he moved to the newly-opened Horace Mann Junior High, and taught Social Studies to ninth graders. In 1982 he moved to South High and taught US History and African & Asian World Cultures until retiring in 2001. As he enjoyed the school community and his colleagues, he continued as a substitute teacher until 2020. Ed happily mentored many student teachers over the years. Ed felt thankful that he was selected for several travel/study programs, going to India in 1980 (Fulbright Association), Japan in 1995 (National Geographic), Saudi Arabia in 1999 and Oman in 2004 (both through the National Council of U.S.-Arab Relations). In 2015 he fulfilled a longtime dream to visit Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Petra.
In retirement, his greatest joy was playing volleyball two mornings a week at the YMCA (especially if teammates set up the ball). He was active at Grace Episcopal Church for over four decades, including serving on the vestry and as junior warden, and many years as head usher. Ed was active in the Sheboygan chapter of People to People, and was also the longtime Board President for the (non-profit) Sunshine ‘n Smiles Children’s Daycare Center. He was very handy and throughout his life enjoyed fixing and building things. He also enjoyed playing with his grandchildren, swimming, traveling, visiting airplane museums, photography, keeping up to date on current geopolitical affairs, walking, and watching sunrises over Lake Michigan.
Ed was a soft-spoken, calm, humble, empathetic, and very brave person with a subtle, witty sense of humor. He was very kind and caring; of new acquaintances as well as friends and family. He took time to listen and get to know people’s personal stories and honestly cared about how people were doing. Ed supported people around him, especially those who needed encouragement the most. Ed was very family oriented and valued time with his children and grandchildren. When his kids were growing up, the family very often went camping; his favorite place being Peninsula State Park in Door County. He served as a youth basketball coach for all three of his children. Ed was very interested in history, geography, and global politics. His curiosity about the world around him was instilled in his children as well, in the pursuit of their own international education, travel, and living experiences. His grandchildren loved visiting, making Rice Krispie treats with him, having cookouts with corn on the cob, picking green beans from the garden, and building bonfires. Ed was known for his love of desserts and never shied away from enjoying a piece of carrot cake or cheesecake. Ed was loved by many and will be greatly missed.
Ed is survived by his wife, Mary, their two daughters and sons-in-law: Christine Clabots and Matthieu Permentier (the Hague, Netherlands), Sarah Clabots-Kim and Keun Hwan Kim (Sheboygan and Seoul), and their son and daughter-in-law: John and Meg Clabots (Stevens Point). He is also survived by six grandchildren: Eleanor and Isabelle Permentier, Beatrice and Sidonia Kim, and Gus and Lucille Clabots. He is also survived by his sister, Frances Beis, brothers and sister-in-law Gerald and Della Clabots, Joseph Clabots, sister-in-law Gloria Clabots and Mary’s sister and brother-in-law, Anne and Greg LaPlante, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother James Clabots, brother-in-law Richard Beis, and sister-in-law, Sue Klemas.
Visitation will be Thursday, May 25th from 4-7 pm and Friday, May 26th 9:30-11am at Grace Episcopal Church (North 7th and Ontario, Sheboygan). A funeral mass will follow at 11 am, Fr William Bulson, celebrant. Internment will take place at St Mary’s Cemetery, Town of Humboldt, at a later date. There, Ed will join four generations of Clabots, the first two generations having emigrated from Belgium in 1856.
Ed’s family would like to thank the many medical personnel who were a part of his multi cancer journey in the last several years, especially Dr. Mark Bettag, Dr. Douglas Evans (pancreatic cancer surgeon at Froedtert & MCW), Dr. Gregory Grose and the kind and caring nursing staff at Sharon Richardson Community Hospice who made his last days as comfortable as possible.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Ed’s name can be made to Grace Episcopal Church to be used for refugee relief, Sharon Richardson Community Hospice, The Sheboygan YMCA, or The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund.
The Olson Funeral Home & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Ed’s arrangements.
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