Remembering Don

Reflections from the Casa Maria Milwaukee Catholic Worker community on the life and witness of Don Timmerman, who died on July 19

Donald Leo Timmerman

May 22, 1942 – July 19, 2026

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

-Philippians 1:21

Beloved peace and justice activist Don Timmerman passed away Sunday morning, July 19, 2026, surrounded by his wife, Roberta, and his children. Don touched thousands of lives through his peace and justice activism and through the Casa Maria Catholic Worker House on Milwaukee’s near west side, a ministry he served for over 30 years. Don’s lifelong mission was to live simply and love others with Christlike compassion. Well done, Don! We’re forever grateful for you and the deep impact you’ve made on the hearts of so many people around the world.

Don grew up on a farm in Dickeyville, Wisconsin, the second of seven children born to George and Irma (née Droeszler) Timmerman. Don attended a Salvatorian Seminary high school in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, where he excelled in religious studies and athletics. He loved cross country running and basketball.

Don continued his higher education at Marquette University in Milwaukee, double majoring in English and Latin. His heart’s desire was to go where the need was greatest and at that time, he felt Africa was the place. So, in the summer of 1966, Don attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he studied Swahili in preparation for life on the mission field in Tanzania.

Don received his official assignment at the Vatican in Rome, then traveled to Nachingwea, Tanzania, where he trained as a missionary priest visiting local parishioners, learning their songs and customs, and observing a culture of hospitality amidst extreme poverty that left a deep impression on his life. During his time in Tanzania, Don served as a translator to Mother Teresa and worked alongside her for two years as she ministered to the sick in that area.

In 1974, after serving seven years in Tanzania, Don returned to the United States. He became aware of a growing Catholic Worker movement inspired by the teachings of Dorothy Day and others. This led him to the Casa Maria Catholic Worker House in Milwaukee where he fell in love with the founders’ mission to live simply and serve people in need of hospitality…and he decided to stay.

Don’s monthly newsletter, The Casa Cry, was a passion project of his that highlighted the need for peace and justice activism. His “Don’s Jokes” section brought levity to the newsletter, balancing out the heavy topics and statistics he shared in each issue.

Don became passionately involved in the peace and justice movement, attending and organizing anti-war protests and other peaceful demonstrations. Don practiced civil disobedience to draw attention to these causes, often spending time in jail as a result. But his passion for peace in our world only grew stronger. Don became a fixture in social justice organizations like Amnesty International Milwaukee Chapter; Milwaukee’s Westside Housing Cooperative; The Mobilization for Survival, currently known as Peace Action of Wisconsin; and a neighborhood community garden, to name a few. Don regularly participated in anti-ROTC actions at Marquette University and protested the selling of guns at local gun shops.

Apart from his volunteerism, Don made an impact on others through his work as a St. Charles Boys Home supervisor, Messmer High School religious studies teacher, and as a CNA. His love for people led to lasting friendships with many in and out of the United States.

On May 20, 1989, Don married the love of his life, Roberta Thurstin-Timmerman, at St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Milwaukee. (He proposed to her while the two were on a furniture pick-up for Casa Maria…and she said yes!) Together, they worked to blend a beautiful family and build a life centered on the teachings of Christ.

Don shared a close bond with his siblings throughout his lifetime. He was preceded in death by his sister Rosemary. His surviving siblings are Ruth (John) Uppena of Monfort, WI; Rita Thomas of Cuba City, WI; Carol Oberfoell of Dubuque, IA; Harold (Judy) Timmerman of Dubuque, IA; and Barb (Tony) Carlisle of Cottage Grove, WI.

Don is survived by his loving wife, Roberta, and their children, Tim, Jeff, Jessica, and Anne. Don and Roberta are grandparents to Danielle, Aaron, Hannah, and Cassidy (Tim and Charlotte Kroupa family); Ajala, Jaylen, Mayah, and N’jame (Jeff and Puronica Kroupa family); Brendan, Sarah, and Olivia (Jessica and Nathan Boehlke family); Paige and Lauren (Anne and Howard Williams family). Don and Roberta are great-grandparents to Daniel, Alexis, Joseph “JT,” and Treyson.

The only thing that matched the deep love Don held for his family was his passion and love for humanity. Don’s gentle heart, unwavering faith, and his love for friends and family will be remembered always. He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, generosity, and quiet strength that will continue to inspire all who were fortunate enough to know and love him.

Family and friends gathered for a Catholic Mass on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Benedict the Moor Parish, 930 W State St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A visitation and Celebration of Life followed in the lower level of the church, and a light lunch will be provided.

Reflection by Roberta Thurstin

Many times Don and I would sing songs before meals. In the last 6 months, he taught me a song by Chris Stapleton. The title is “More of you.” It seemed to touch our very souls because the words meant so much to us. The chorus became a mantra for us. “It makes me want more of you again and again. I fall more in love with you than I’ve ever been. From the moment you wake me up ’til you kiss me goodnight. Everything that you do. It makes me want more of you.” The words captured how we felt about each other at this time in our lives. Then when Don became ill I would softly sing it to him. We were always aware that the love we shared was a gift from god. We were amazed that it even deepened with time. Since my gentle, loving husband died, I feel my heart is broken. Yet I draw comfort from the image in my mind and heart of our singing “More of You” to each other. When two people share a deep, abiding love, a deep sorrow is felt when one has changed form to start a new life. Don will always be in my heart. His spirit is with me. I wish for everyone to experience the gift of a rich enduring love. Peace, Roberta

Two Reflections from Amada Morales

WWDD?

“What would Don do?” is a Casa Maria Catholic Worker mantra I’ll live by for the rest of my life. Thank you Don Timmerman for being an amazing mentor. Thank you for feeding, housing & supporting moms & children. Thank you for all your works…we can’t even count them all. 

Thank you for always supporting the Welfare Warriors. You inspire me to love the poor even in the most stressful moments. I will continue defending the poor, unpaid like you, until it’s my time to go to rest like you. I will see you at resurrection friend.                                   

The Non-Violent Robin Hood Don Timmerman, My Mentor.

When I was a child, my cousins and I would bang on the Casa Maria Catholic Worker door and Don would calmly walk out to bring us ice cream. Here he is 26 years later holding my middle son, Max.

I had become his fellow Catholic Worker. Don had heard about the work I was doing with the Welfare Warriors, assisting moms and their relatives in going to court to regain placement & custody of their children from the Government. So he and the other workers arranged for one, later a second property to be devoted to moms with open Child In Need of Protective Services (CHIPS) cases to help leverage the children to be reunified with their families.

Ever since the houses became available to the moms, the Judges began to respect our efforts more and more. We’re giving the moms free housing, without any government funding. How is it possible?

Don made me realize that God provides. He truly taught me this example, which I learned to have faith as he had counted over sixty years of Casa Maria’s existence to prove that Jehovah God will provide

Reflection from Lincoln Rice

I had read Dorothy Day’s autobiography in high school, but it wasn’t until I was in college meeting Don Timmerman and Roberta Thurstin at gun vigil in Milwaukee in 1998 that I saw how the movement was embodied. I joined them for several gun vigils that summer and started dropping in at Casa Maria. By October I had moved in and the following spring on Tax Day 1999, I was arrested for the first time with Don and Roberta at the IRS offices. Don told me that people working for social justice should be arrested at least once a year so that they could have some inkling of how the most vulnerable are treated.

Don also had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh. He began the practice of putting jokes in our newsletter, which made it much less depressing. I once met a Catholic Worker in the Southwest who had collected the previous decade of Casa Maria newsletters into a three-ring binder and used it as his joke book.

Don strove to be a disciple of Jesus and to live out Jesus’s message of nonviolence and voluntary poverty. He was also happy to debate what that exactly looked like as well as some theological or biblical point. I appreciated this since debating these points is one of my passions and Don was always generous with his time.

Don was a mentor and friend. I will miss him dearly.