John H Laakso

The Packers, Brewers, Badgers  & Bucks lost their #1 fan on Tuesday, April 7.  John passed away peacefully, with his loving wife Rhonda by his side, at his winter home in Sun City Hilton Head, SC.  John, much loved by many, was an avid fisherman,a seriously competitive golfer, bowler, and euchre card player. Being Finnish, he also loved taking saunas. He was also known among his friends & family as the “go to guy” for sports related news/trivia, etc.  An outgoing, friendly guy, John had a multitude of friends.  One of John’s greatest joys was taking his annual fishing trip to Canada with his buddies.  Many hours were spent  fishing off his pier, (sometimes off the neighbors piers when fish weren’t biting off his pier) on Lake Puckaway.  If you could’t  find  him on the pier, he was usually at the golf course or out riding his red scooter around the neighborhood.  His most important role was that of the loving husband of Rhonda of 30 years. They were married in Maui, Hawaii, in 1990.  After Rhonda retired in 2012, they spent winters in Sun City Hilton Head (Bluffton,SC) and summers on Lake Puckaway (Montello, WI).  John so enjoyed when family and friends would visit. He never passed up a chance to play euchre.  Whenever he and his partner (usually nephew Nick) won (usually most of the time), he liked to chant “We are the Champions”.

John was preceded in death by his father, Arne Ilmari Laakso, his mother, Lily Viola (Cass) Laakso, and his brother, Charles Aaron Laakso.  He is survived by his loving wife, Rhonda (Lannan) Laakso, brother, Michael  (Debbie) Laakso; step-daughter, Romy (Scott) Kissel, two step-grandchildren, Morgan and Evan Kissel; mother-in-law, Norma Lannan; brother-in-laws, Michael (Mary) Lannan and Ronald Lannan; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

John was born in Marshfield, WI on March 9,1944 and grew up on a family dairy farm in Owen, WI. In 1962, John graduated from Owen-Withee H.S. in Owen, WI.  He received his Economics degree from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls in 1966. John also served in the National Guard. He joined Navistar (formerly International Harvester) in 1967 and had a successful career until his retirement in 2002 (34+years).

John requested to be cremated. Due to the current virus restrictions, a Celebration of John’s Life with friends and family will be planned at a later date. For those who wish to remember John, in lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to the Budda-Box of Marquette County, P.O. Box 91, Westfield, WI 53949.  Budda Box is a non-profit organization who helps support residents of Marquette County, WI who have cancer with financial & emotional support.

The world will never be the same for those of us who knew and loved John. We will forever hold you in our hearts.