Denice Marie Fischbach

Denice Marie Fischbach, 72, of Bloomington, IL, fought a long and painful fight but her body gave up on July 3, 2025.

Denice was born on February 26, 1953, in Des Moines to Michael Richard Rooney and Elizabeth Alice Rooney. She grew up in Farrar and went to the St. Joseph Academy in Des Moines. She went to Iowa State University where she met her husband, Robert Joseph Fischbach. They were married on December 30, 1972. After Robert graduated from University of Northern Iowa in January of 1974, they moved to Osceola. Denice worked for Jimmy Dean Meat Packing and Murray Electrical Factory. They had three sons: Jason (1975), Aaron (1977), and Sean (1979).

In February of 1980, they moved to Bloomington for Robert’s job at Corn Belt Electric Cooperative. At that time, Denice was able to put her talents of fashion and color combinations to work along with her people skills. She worked for Catherine’s Women’s Apparel part time while raising the boys. She even volunteered as lunchroom and playground assistant.

When the boys were in Junior High, she went to work for Diamond Vogel Paints. They had a Wallpaper Department which Denice ran. Here her talents really paid off. She liked Country and Victorian Style decorating. She had a photographic memory. She would look through the hundreds of wallpaper books they had and somehow know which books had the pattern that the customer was looking for and the color that would match their wall and furniture. She even helped the paint sales accounting team trace accounts that were out of balance for five years back. Her attention to detail could find errors in billing to actual shipping and delivery/returns.

When her illnesses became too difficult to work, she had to give up the job she loved. She was strong and hard-working, which covered up the fact that she had several issues.

In 2017, she took the trip of her dreams. 10 people, including seven direct blood line decedents of the Rooney’s, went to Ireland, London, Paris, and Rome. In Ireland, they visited the farms and stores that their ancestor’s owned.

In addition to her husband, Robert, Denice is survived by her brothers, Dennis Rooney of Thornton, CO, and Douglas Rooney (Alfonso) of Carlisle; her sisters, Diane Schoeberl (Lynn) of Big Fork, MN and Donna Rooney of Woodbury, MN; her sons, Jason (Carie) of Romeoville, IL, Aaron (Sarah) and two children (Michael and Poppy) of Malibu, CA, and Sean (Laura) and three children (Amara, Micah and Oliver) of Brownsboro, AL; her sister-in-law, Connie Patava (Craig) of Waterloo; and several nieces and nephews.

Denice is preceded in death by her parents and grandchildren.

Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 16, at St Patrick’s Church of Merna in Bloomington, with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m in the church just prior to the service. Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington is assisting the family with local arrangements.

Additional visitation will be from 9:30-11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 17, at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave., Waterloo. A private family burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Waterloo.

Donations may be made to Lakewood Nursing and Rehab Center, 14716 Eastern Ave, Plainfield, IL 60544, or to the family. To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com or www.lockefuneralservices.com.