Resident of Saint John's on the Lake, Tony Busalacchi is exceptionally active in the city of Milwaukee and the greater community. Early in life, Tony enlisted in the US Navy where he volunteered for minesweeper duty in Korea during the Korean War. He continued his Naval career in the submarine service before attending college in Iowa. Tony then returned to his hometown of Whitefish Bay to teach humanities at the high school and university level. He later taught older adults at Osher and the North Shore School for Seniors. Tony continues to teach on a limited basis, including seminars on controversial art at Saint John’s.

He has been involved in school administration serving on the Whitefish Bay and Milwaukee School Boards; civic leadership as a Village Trustee for Whitefish Bay; and support of culture and the arts as Past President of the City of Milwaukee Art Commission, Trustee and Past President of The Friends of the Charles Allis, Co-founder and first President of the Milwaukee Opera Company, longtime Marcus PAC Board Trustee and Trustee of Milwaukee Public Museum. At Saint John’s Tony is known for organizing both our Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day celebrations as well as our annual making of Snow Angels on the Plaza.

Tony is the Past Master and Current Chair of the Trustees of his Masonic Lodge. He also volunteered at the VA Hospital for 11 years where he was the deputy Director of Masonic Services. Tony and his wife Pat are longtime members of the First Unitarian Society where he was a Trustee and served as President for two years. For 57 years, the Busalacchis have been active members on the Lake Park 4th of July Committee.

Although his regular art practice didn’t take shape until he retired from teaching in 1990, Tony says that he saw teaching high school history classes as a creative endeavor. He also spent time sketching while serving in Korea. He and Pat co-produced “Cultura,” a humanities series, the first local color TV program. Tony is now very active in the art community, has had several solo shows (including his first ever show as the second artist to display work at Saint John’s Uihlein Peters Gallery), and has been represented by several art galleries in Door County.

Tony seems to have creativity in his blood—per Tony, “I wake up with an idea.” He makes use of a wide variety of materials and processes to create art. Others’ often think of Tony when they come across a unique object. In his art, he’s used everything from croquet mallets to books to plastic army men. Tony’s art has been shown across the state of Wisconsin in galleries, churches, and museums. The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) has three of Busalacchi’s dioramas.

Beginning in 2018 in celebration of his 85th birthday, Tony and Pat began selling Tony’s artwork to support furnishing St. Ben’s and the House of Peace. To date they have raised over $200,000!

In 1986, the Milwaukee Journal editorial page honored Tony as one of the “The Turtles of the Year” (Turtles stick their necks out), an appropriate appellation for this exceptional human being.