Went to his Heavenly Home surrounded by his family and loved ones on Monday, May 23, 2016 at the age of 75. John was born in Hancock, Michigan on Sunday, March 9, 1941 to the late Arnold and Lempi (Manty) Hansen. His two brothers, Raymond and Rueben, preceded him in death. John, once telling his mother that he would marry a girl from Finland, met his future beloved wife, Lea, a Finnish immigrant, in Covington, Michigan. They married on Saturday, July 2, 1960, and then relocated briefly to the Milwaukee area before settling in Green Bay, Wisconsin for three decades to raise their family. After a short relocation to Iron Mountain, Michigan, they eventually settled in Mukwonago, Wisconsin to be closer to their newly born grandchildren in the mid 1990s.

Beloved husband of Lea. Wonderful dad “Isi” of Christine (Scott) Wyosnick, Paula (Eric) Herrmann, Brenda Peterson (Justin McBryde), and David Hansen (Missy Krueger). Adored grandpa of Andrew Wyosnick, Gabrielle Herrmann, Luke Peterson, Kaisa Herrmann, Raija Hansen, Christiane Herrmann, Wesley Hansen, and Eric Maxwell Herrmann. John will be greatly missed by his family and many other relatives and friends.

John was a man with many nicknames. Some of them were derived from the Finnish language of which he spoke fluently. Nicknames included Johnny Jack, Bugs, Johnny Walker, Johnny Danger, Walking John, Jussi Poika (Johnny Boy), Kulta (Gold), Precious, and Papawomps. John worked as a hydraulic and pneumatics sales engineer, and accomplished many goals in his career including co-founding Fluid System Components (Green Bay) and serving as its Vice President; founding Unitech, Inc. (Iron Mountain) in his role as its President; and ending his career at J.M. Grimstad (West Allis). In his encore years, he contributed to the team at Amato Ford in Mukwonago via courtesy driving customers, and delivering vehicles between dealerships. But John wasn’t “all work and no play”. He was a huge automotive and racecar enthusiast, who learned the skills of repairing his own vehicles and his childrens’ from his father Arnold and Uncle Norman (Hanson). John also used those skills to help build and maintain the race cars of many friends. John dabbled in aviation in the 1970’s by obtaining his private pilot license and being a part-owner of a Cessna. He often enjoyed discussing and participating in politics, even once running for Wisconsin State Assembly in 1976 against Cletus “Concrete Clete” Vanderperren.  He was elected and spent nine years on the Board of Education for the Howard-Suamico School District. John loved to travel with Lea and his children to various destinations throughout the country and to Finland. In his later years, he and Lea would enjoy their trips to Branson, Missouri, sometimes more than once a year, attending bluegrass and gospel music shows. He was very strong in his Christian faith and was always an active member of his attended churches, most recently Hillside Community Church. He never missed family celebrations and events, and was always there for all immediate and extended family. John was engaged in the Whispering Bay Condominium Association where he most recently lived, overseeing insurance, and buildings and grounds activities. And John certainly enjoyed beating his son David over the years in the “Big Screen TV Wars”.  In recent years, John was iconic for taking walks around town donning his cowboy hat.

His vibrant, happy life was slowed down as he awaited back surgery in late 2014. On May 1st, 2015, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma on his back and brain, which he miraculously conquered that same summer. Along the road of treatment and recovery, he battled with additional challenges including the recent failure discovery of his 2012 triple bypass surgery. His life was swiftly succumbed by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was so blessed to have been served by many doctors, most notably, his neuro-oncologist, Dr. Hendrikus Krouwer.  Others who provided tremendous compassion and care for him included: Dr. Amandeep Gill; Dr. Richard Leech; Dr. Imran Sajjad; many nurses and staff on the oncology floor at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and the LindenGrove’s Mukwonago Rehabilitation facility. The family wishes to celebrate their contributions to John’s life. He was blessed to have had assigned ICU nurse, Nicole, who catered to his and his family’s and loved one’s needs in his final days and hours.

A Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at Hillside Community Church, S93 W30580 County Road NN, Mukwonago, Wisconsin from 11 AM until the time of Funeral Service at 1 PM with the Pastor Dan Williamson officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Hillside Community Church are greatly appreciated.