Samuel DeRose Schissel passed away after a brief illness on June 27, 2009. A lifelong resident of Kenosha, WI, Sam was born on June 28, 1990, the son of James Schissel and Nicolet DeRose. During the course of Sam’s early education, he attended both Bose and Harvey Elementary schools and Washington Junior H.S. in Kenosha. Sam went on to attend Park H.S. in Racine and graduated from Bradford H.S. in Kenosha. During the course of Sam’s all too brief life, he was involved in a number of activities. As a grade-schooler, he became actively involved in the RKP (Racine Kids Players) theater program. For several summers Sam could be found on the stage perfecting his acting skills and enjoying the atmosphere of the theater. At this time Sam also took up the trumpet and became an award winning musician in the Bradford H.S. band earning first place state awards in solo competition. In the area of sports, Sam enjoyed swimming, basketball and football, although his real love and success came on the baseball diamond. From the time he was a youngster he had a natural gift for the sport. By the time he got to high school, he was ready to make a mark for himself. As a junior at Park H.S., he was named first team All Southeast Conference and first team All County. He followed this up with an exceptional senior season at Bradford H.S. where he was once again a first team All Southeast Conference selection and first team All County. He capped off the season by leading the Bradford Red Devils to their first state baseball championship since 1963. Arguably, Sam had one of the finest pitching performances in Kenosha county history as he defeated both Eau Claire Memorial and Kimberly (the two competitors for state title) winning Bradford the 2008 title. This performance culminated with Sam being named to the All State first team and being recognized as one of the premier pitchers in the state of Wisconsin. In addition to his high school success Sam also played summer ball for the Racine Hitters and the Kenosha Merchants. Sam went on to attend the University of Minnesota on a baseball scholarship last fall. At the end of the semester, he returned home to attend Carthage College for the spring semester. Charisma and the warmth of his smile were hallmarks of Sam’s personality. His easy laugh and devilish sense of humor were also a big part of who he was. He had a life force that radiated to a countless number of people, especially children. He will be missed terribly by many friends and others who knew him. He was truly the finest son a parent could possibly have. He will be missed beyond belief. His mother Nicolet, his father Jim, his sister Talia, his brother Michael and his grandmother Betty Schissel survive Sam. Numerous family members and relatives and the network of friends that made his life so colorful and loving also survive him. We are all fortunate to have known him. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made out to the: Sam DeRose Schissel Scholarshipc/o The Bank of Kenosha5117 Green Bay Rd.Kenosha, WI 53144 Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009, from 2:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. with the service immediately following the visitation. The visitation and service will be held in the Bradford High School Auditorium (3700 Washington Rd., Kenosha, WI 53144).Proko Funeral Home & Crematory5111-60th StreetKenosha, WI 53144Phone: (262) 654-3533Visit Sam’s Online Memorial Book at:www.prokofuneralhome.com