Brother Donald Eugene Schapker, C.S.C.
Brother Donald Eugene Schapker, C.S.C. Obituary
BROTHER DONALD EUGENE SCHAPKER, C.S.C.
FEBRUARY 20, 1939 – SEPTEBER 27, 2026
Brother Donald Eugene Schapker, 87 died September 27, 2026 at Columba Hall, Notre Dame, IN. He was born on February 20, 1939 in Evansville, IN the youngest of eight children to Henry and Mary (Seibert) Schapker. After attending St. Joseph Grade School, he graduated from Reitz Memorial High School in 1957. In August of that year, Donald joined the Congregation of Holy Cross as a brother. He professed first vows on August 16, 1958 and made perpetual profession on August 16, 1961. In 1960, he was on the staff at Watertown, WI for six months and then was assigned to work at the Ave Maria Press. In 1963, he was assigned to work as a clerk at the Notre Dame Post Office where he served until his retirement in 1994. He was on the staff at Columba Hall until 1995 when he was assigned to work in the Department of Audio-Visual Services at the NITA-Notre Dame Law School. Retiring in 2007, he continued to live at Columba Hall until his death. He spent a total of 65 years as a member of the Columba Hall Community.
Brother Donald entered Holy Cross because of the example set by the brothers who were his teachers at Reitz Memorial Hight School. When he retired from the Notre Dame Post Office in 1994, he was the last brother to serve there. Throughout his life as a brother he was known as an easy-going, unflappable man with a steadfast dedication to whatever he was assigned. He was kind and maintained a quiet disposition with a wry sense of humor and took each day as it came. In 2018, when asked about his time in the Congregation, he reflected, “Each day has its ups and downs and my life, thank goodness, has had a lot more ups. I feel very blessed”
Brother Donald is preceded in death by his father Henry and mother Mary Seibert Schapker, his sister Antoinette Hagan and husband, Joseph, his sister Alvina Lehr and husband, Robert, his brother Melvin Schapker, his sister Mary Lou Schapker, his brother Henry Schapker and wife, Hazel Quarles, his brother Francis Schapker and his sister-in-law Beverly Peak Schapker He is survived by his brother Carroll Schapker and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Friday, October 2 at St. Joseph Chapel, Holy Cross College from 9:00 to 10:00 am. The Mass of Resurrection will follow with internment afterward in St. Joseph's Cemetery at Holy Cross Village.
Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
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