John Laubmeier

Waunakee-John W. Laubmeier passed away peacefully on August 14 at Agrace HospiceCare surrounded by his family. John was born on July 26, 1950. In September 2014, John was diagnosed with brain cancer. Since that date, he was blessed with a multitude of memories and acts of kindness from the many people whose lives he touched.

He is survived by his best friend and devoted wife, Nancy (Hensen), son John Joseph Laubmeier (Krista) of Madison and their children Sydney and Paul, and daughter Angela Rose Schema (Justin) of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and their children Anika and Walker. In addition, John is survived by his mother, Sylvia (Layton) Laubmeier of Sauk City, and siblings Ron Laubmeier (Peggy) of Baraboo, Phyllis Riordan of Madison, Diane Frey (Dave) of Sauk City, and Joe Laubmeier (Kathy) of Madison.

John was also always proud to call himself a member of the Hensen family. He is survived by in-laws Sister Angeline Hensen of Manitowoc, LaVerne "Butch" Hensen (Jean) of Waunakee, Sharon Bannan (Jim) of Lodi, Jerry Cain of Lancaster, Marlene Witt of McFarland, Phil Troia (Nadine) of Sun Prairie, Will Hensen (Kim) of Waunakee, and Jim Hensen (Sue) of Waunakee. John was preceded in death by his father Wilbert "Bill" Laubmeier, parents-in-law Angeline "Angie" (Ballweg) and Wilfred "Fritz" Hensen, sisters-in-law Darlene Troia and Mary Cain, and niece Anna Bannan.

Throughout his life, John was passionate about education. He was a student every year from 1956 to 2014. He graduated from St. Luke's Grade School in Plain and Sauk Prairie High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in Rural Sociology and two master's degrees in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught high school social studies for 40 years and four days, 37 of the years at Waunakee High School. He mentored nine student teachers and was chair of the social studies department for 29 years.

Each day, John couldn't wait to get out of bed and pursue his mission in life; to make History and Economics come alive for his students. He felt privileged to work with the administrators, staff members, students and families of Waunakee. John received many awards for his teaching excellence including the Robert W. Baird & Co. for Excellence in Economics Teaching Award, Channel 15 Crystal Apple Award, Herb Kohl Fellowship Award, Waunakee High School Master Teacher Award, Waunakee VFW Citizenship Teacher Award, and the Wisconsin Association for the Promotion of History Teaching Excellence Award.

Since 1998, John served on the Waunakee Village Board and the Waunakee Utilities Commission. He was elected and served as Village President from 2003-2015, the longest term in the history of the Village. He was particularly proud of his involvement in the Waunakee Village Center, the Ice Pond (skating and hockey facility), and major efforts to revitalize the downtown. He felt fortunate to serve with the board members and Village staff who were so professional, knowledgeable and willing to give their time to help others.

John enjoyed reading historical biographies. He was a lifelong supporter of the Wisconsin Badgers. For over 25 years, he worked as the Waunakee football statistician. He was the official timekeeper for 36 years for Waunakee basketball games. In addition, he enjoyed working with athletes of all ages as a WIAA basketball official for nearly 20 years. He valued the many friends and memories he made as an official.

John loved his family. The birth of his son and daughter taught John that miracles really do exist. He said Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle" song drove him to always put family first, as a son, a father, a grandfather, and most importantly as a husband. He was his children's biggest cheerleader, supporting them throughout their lives in any way he could. He called Nancy "his bride" for the nearly 45 years they were married and treated her as such.

Following John's diagnosis, he fulfilled his dream of authoring a book. "Things Change" was published in June 2015. A collection of memories and lessons learned throughout his life, the book is a cherished gift of John's legacy for his many friends and family members.

A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, August 19 at 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 209 South St Waunakee. Friends may call at the church on Thursday, August 18 from 4-7 p.m. and also on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service. A reception will be held at the Waunakee Village Center following the funeral. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the "Village of Waunakee - New Library Project" to honor John's love of learning and community or the "National Brain Tumor Society" to fund research in brain cancer.

John embraced the values of hard work and honesty. As a young man, he was influenced by John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. As an adult, he tried to follow Thomas Jefferson's philosophy that elected leaders are simply servants of the voters. John strongly believed in the importance of leaving a "mark" in this world (no matter how small) and making it a better place. The clock of life is truly wound but once for all of us. Peace.

Winn-Cress Funeral Home
5785 Hwy Q
Waunakee, WI