MADISON – John left this life on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, with his wife Wendy by his side. A former resident of Spring Green, Verona, and various Texas cities, he was living in Madison.
John loved his family, his friends, and the outdoors. From the age of 12, when he caught his first trout on a fly rod, John was hooked on fly fishing. He sought fish around the world from salmon in Alaska to trout in Tierra del Fuego. John appreciated fish of any size and loved walking the streams in Wisconsin’s Driftless region in search of the next catch.
John grew up in east Texas playing basketball and tennis. Lacking the height to become a professional basketball player, he decided to concentrate on his studies. While in high school, he received NSF summer scholarships to Texas A&M and the University of Alaska. He enrolled at Johns Hopkins, switching his sophomore year to Occidental College where he met his future wife and lifelong best friend,Wendy. The former paper boy and grocery store sacker settled in at the Texas Credit Union League as a programmer, earned an MBA and CPA, and eventually became president. He was proud of bringing share drafts to Texas credit unions. John planned a “short term” move to Wisconsin to work at CUNA Mutual on start-ups, mergers, and acquisitions. After seven years, he quit working but he didn’t quit Wisconsin. John stayed to enjoy the fishing, hunting, golfing, and friends. Few people have looked forward to or relished retirement as much as John did.
John was a raconteur, an omnivorous reader, an Eagle Scout, an Upward Bound counselor in college. He was a Farmers Branch TX city councilman, Habitat for Humanity builder in SD, treasurer of the Harry and Laura Nohr chapter of Trout Unlimited, and a planning commissioner for the town of Wyoming.
John and Wendy had two sons, John and Brian, with whom they shared many adventures in West Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Wyoming. John gave much fatherly advice, although decades later his sons are a bit fuzzy about what those daily speeches actually covered. He was a loving Grandpa to Lavinia, Alex, Tessa, Clementine, Rebecca, and Elizabeth and a fond uncle to Leif, Michael, Katie, and Elise. He greatly appreciated his fishing, hunting and golfing companions, with whom he spent many enjoyable hours, whatever the weather.
Thanks and gratitude to the staff at Brightstar on Schroeder Rd. and at Agrace Hospice for the care and love they showed him and his family.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Memorials in his name can be made to Agrace Hospice (5395 E. Cheryl Parkway Madison WI 53711), Harry and Laura Nohr chapter of Trout Unlimited (PO Box 24 Dodgeville WI 53533), or the Alzheimers and Dementia Alliance of WI (6314 Odana Rd Suite 4 Madison WI 53719).
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