Michele Mary (Ahlers) Bloom was born in Milwaukee, WI on November 21st, 1947 to Joseph Frank Ahlers (a WWII Navy Veteran, and a carpenter and project manager for J.C. Penny) and Dorothy May (Brunner) Ahlers (Nurse). Her brother Joseph H. Ahlers had already arrived a few years earlier on December 7th, 1941. She grew up in Milwaukee, WI and graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1964. Michele married John Bernard Zawikowski in 1966 and they moved to Cudahy, WI where they raised their two sons, Joel Bernard Zawikowski (1966) and Bryan John Zawikowski (1967). Michele was a busy wife and mother in the first several years, since the boys were less than a year apart in age.

Once they were in school, she was able to continue her education, attending Alverno College where she studied accounting, psychology and English. Based on comments written on her assigned essays and writing, her professors thought that she had a very humorous and witty writing style. She continued practicing this throughout her life, often writing parody songs of Christmas carols as a satirical commentary on the events of the day. Michele was a voracious reader, and was a huge fan of the author Stephen King in particular. She had a significant collection of first editions and other memorabilia that she had acquired over the years. She also loved to crochet when she had the time and she made many wonderful afghans which many of us cherish to this day. Michele was also a prolific holiday baker. Her spritz, oatmeal and molasses cookies were all legendary, as were her banana nut, pumpkin and cranberry breads.

As her sons got older, she went to work as a bookkeeper at PJS Cycle Empire in Milwaukee. She always had funny stories to tell about the biker folks she interacted with while working there. After several years at PJS, she became the bookkeeper for Capitol Court Travel, which afforded her the opportunity to take trips with the travel agents. She took full advantage, and was able to visit China and Italy among many other interesting places. Michele and John divorced in 1985, and Michele married Neil George Bloom in 1988. While they were in Wisconsin, they enjoyed going out rock & roll dancing with Michele’s brother Joe and his wife Darlene. Michele & Neil moved to Lakeland, FL late 1988 and bought a house in 1989 that they would live in together for over 35 years. Over those years they had two beautiful Golden Retrievers, Lucy and then Abby. Those dogs were their babies! Michele had several accounting jobs in the Lakeland area, eventually joining Pickett & Associates as their Human Resources Manager and Controller. She worked at Pickett for over 22 years, retiring in 2014. In addition to her reading, Michele was an avid gardener, especially after her retirement. She and Neil grew peppers, leaf lettuce and tomatoes among other things and used them to make delicious sauces and salads. They also enjoyed bird watching, and even had their backyard certified as a wildlife preserve. They were able to capture some incredible photos and videos of birds rabbits and squirrels over the years. Michele always stayed on top of the news of the day and was not shy about sharing her views in a firm, yet thoughtful way. She read the Washington Post, The Atlantic and The New York Times every day and loved to play the NYT games every morning (she was hard to beat at Wordle!) Her husband Neil passed away in 2024 at the age of 79. She moved to Dallas in July 2024 to be closer to family.

Michele passed away peacefully to join her parents and ancestors in The Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom on May 31st, 2026.

Michele was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph F. & Dorothy M. (Brunner) Ahlers, and by her husband Neil G. Bloom.

Michele is survived by her brother Joseph F. Ahlers (Mukwonago, WI), sons Joel B. Zawikowski (Greenfield, WI) and Bryan J. Zawikowski (Dallas, TX), daughter-in-law, Andrea Jennings, and granddaughter Cheyenne Rose Zawikowski (Orange City, FL).

If you are interested in a tribute that Michele would have appreciated, please make a donation in her name to your local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Michele will be interred at Dallas-Ft Worth National Cemetery with her husband, Neil, who was a U.S. Marine who served in the Vietnam era.