Roger R. Jurk Jr.

Roger R. Jurk Jr., 72, of Sheboygan, passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at Aurora Medical Center in Sheboygan. Born on October 6, 1953 to Roger Jurk Sr. and Beverly (Hahn) Steffen, he graduated from Sheboygan South High School in 1971 and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Lakeland College.

Roger was an avid fisherman who returned to the water at every opportunity. He spent summers filling coolers with his catches and looked forward each year to his trip to Rice Lake with his closest friends. He was also a devoted and generous man who took great pleasure in providing for his family and friends. He was deeply proud of his 43-year career at Kohler, where he worked in various roles, most notably as a project manager. His work took him across the globe and to nearly every continent. While on a years-long project in China, he met and later married his beloved wife, Sally.

Family was the center of Roger’s life. He especially cherished time with his wife Sally, his daughter Abigail, and his son Aaron. He loved to cook and grill, often hosting large family gatherings that required extra tables and chairs. Though sometimes quiet, he was quick with a joke or a line that could bring a smile to those around him. He maintained close connections with his family in China as well, regularly sharing photos and experiences between Wisconsin and Shanghai. Roger also had a remarkable green thumb and enjoyed gardening, growing vegetables, flowers, herbs, and plants. In his younger years his garden sometimes covered half the yard, and visitors to his home frequently left with armfuls of fresh produce.

Growing up in a tavern and supperclub owned by his father, Roger developed a lifelong love for the social side of bartending. He became a familiar and friendly face behind the bar in the community, especially at Petek’s Tavern, where he made many lifelong friends. For the last few decades he divided his time between Wisconsin and Shanghai, continuing to travel and nurture his cherished relationships on both sides of the world after retirement.

Roger is survived by his wife, Jufen (Sally) Liu; his mother, Beverly Steffen; his daughter, Abigail Jurk; his son, Aaron Jurk and their mother, Cathy Penney; and his sisters Pamela Rehm (Robert), Victoria Jurk, and Katherine Jurk (Tom Knox); many nieces and nephews; and his wife’s sisters, daughter, and granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his father, Roger Jurk Sr., and an infant daughter, Whitney.