Elizabeth “Bo” Black, loving mother, grandmother, wife,
and long time Executive Director of Milwaukee World Festival, passed away
peacefully today at her home in Scottsdale, Arizona surrounded by family and
friends. She was 74 years old. Not a wrinkle on her face, she remained a
beauty queen though her final moments, inside and out.
Bo was born in St. Louis, MO on February 7, 1946 to
late parents Joseph and Betty Mae Bussmann. She grew up in Clayton, MO with her
parents, her brother “Bubbie” (Joseph Bussmann, Jr.) and the rest of the very large Bussmann family.
The Bussmann family is best known for inventing the electrical fuse and Bo was
always proud of that heritage, making sure that each of her grandchildren had a
Buss fuse as a family heirloom.
Bo graduated the from University of Wisconsin Madison
in 1967. She was a cheerleader, the homecoming queen and was featured on the
cover of Playboy in the 1967 Big Ten edition, “fully clothed”, as she would
always remind us.
Upon graduation from the UW, she moved to Milwaukee, WI
with her first husband, William Black, and had her first child, Stephanie
(Black) Anderson. She had daughter Kellyn Bussmann Lindemann and Blake Joseph
Lindemann with her second husband, Thomas Lindemann.
In 2000, Bo married her current husband and the then
Milwaukee Brewers Manager, Tom Trebelhorn. “Treb” was a loving husband and was
by her side at the time of her death. Bo always loved her friends and adventures
with the MLB.
Bo had some extraordinary achievements in her lifetime.
Dedicating herself to others, she started her career raising money for the
Multiple Sclerosis Read-a-Thon and continued to volunteer and serve on boards
for organizations such as the United Way and UPAF. She won many awards in the
Community and professional organizations around the country and inspired many
women (and others) around the world.
Bo had a love of theatre and music and had a brief
stint as an actress at the Skylight Theater in Milwaukee where she was told that
she would be a “better administrator than performer”. She often said that
comment was the reason she decided to join Summerfest in 1974 as the administrative
assistant to Henry Jordan, the then Executive Director of Summerfest. She left Summerfest
in 1976 to work for Mayor Henry Maier of Milwaukee until she ultimately returned
to Summerfest when the Mayor appointed her as the Executive Director in 1984. During
her time at Summerfest, Bo grew the Fest from a small festival held in
temporary tent structures and dirt walking paths to the worlds greatest music
festival, a beautifully landscaped 90 acre festival park filled with permanent
stages and scenic walkways along Lake Michigan. She expanded Summerfest to
include successful ethnic festivals and even a Winterfest in Cathedral Square
Park. She was most proud of the programs she created to make the festivals more
accessible to everyone (free entry with a Summerfest Pin or a canned good) and
for the mentoring and scholarship program she created for under privileged Milwaukee
High School Students, Operation Summerchance.
But more than that, Bo became the face of Summerfest.
As she walked the grounds, she’d smile, wave and talk to all the patrons. She always
made everyone feel comfortable and welcome.
Bo moved to Scottsdale, AZ in 2001 where she continued
to build friendships and contribute to her community. She suffered a brain
aneurysm in 2007, but never lost her smile, her laughter or her will to live.
She will be fondly remembered in her favorite place, her bed, talking to loved
ones, watching the News, the Voice or Major League Baseball.
Bo loved music, sports and raising money for a good
cause. She excelled at each of those things, but what she is most known for is
being a loyal friend to anyone in a time of need, with just the right piece of
advice, story to make you laugh, or thoughtful gift. Bo always made you feel
like you were the only one she cared about and she always led with her heart.
She was kind to and would befriend and listen to anyone.
Throughout Bo’s life, she developed strong friendships
that had a lasting impact. This started during her childhood in St. Louis and
continued up until she passed. By her friends and family, Bo will always be
remembered for her generosity, her heart, her radiance and her laughter.
Bo is survived by her husband, Tom Trebelhorn, her
three children, Stephanie Anderson of Pelham, NY, Kellyn Lindemann of
Scottsdale, AZ and Blake Lindemann of Los Angeles, CA., her brother Joseph A.
Bussmann, Jr, and her four loving grandchildren, Grace, Jack, Brewer (“Brew
Crew”) and Brady.
