John Biddick

MADISON- John Harlan Biddick of Madison passed away gently on Thursday, July 30, 2015 at the age of 92.

He was born in Livingston, WI on June 23, 1923 at the home of his maternal grandparents. He was the third of five children born to Delpha and William T. Biddick. His mother had played piano for the silent movies before she became a mother and homemaker and his father had a seed, feed and coal business in Livingston.

John graduated from Livingston H.S. in 1941 and went on to study at UW-Platteville. In 1942, he married his childhood sweetheart, Grace Audrey Watson. A year later, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. The Army sent him to Harvard and the University of New Hampshire to study engineering followed by his assignment to the Persian Gulf Command in Iran where he built roads and other infrastructure for our Russian allies to receive supplies to fight the Nazis.

After returning home from the war in 1946, he completed his education on the GI Bill at Platteville and began his career in education teaching in Linden, WI. He soon became principal of Arena High School and was instrumental in building the first high school gymnasium. During this time, he earned his master's degree in Public Administration at UW-Madison and found employment with the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, first as a case worker in Milwaukee and three years later in administration in Madison. He worked for DVR for 35 years.

In addition to his careers, he had many part time jobs, including corn detassling for Elmer Biddick of the now Trelay Farms and driving the hearse for the undertaker in Livingston as a teenager, and as an adult, road construction and teaching civics to immigrants aspiring to citizenship. He also served as Chairman of the Iowa County Democratic Party in the 1950s. He was the family genealogist and an historian.

John was a gentleman, always, and a loving husband and devoted and nurturing father with a keen sense of humor. His daughters delighted in his home made stories of the antics of his fictional war time pet monkey. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren and great grandchildren grow up and being a part of their lives. He lost his wife in l997 so he continued parenting three generations alone. He missed Grace terribly and she remained the love of his life.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Audrey, his parents, his grandparents John and Martha Waring Graham and Harlan and Elizabeth Alcock Biddick and brothers William and Richard, sisters in law June and Jane and brother in law, Carl Riddiough.

He is survived by his four daughters, Elizabeth (Jack) Lorch, Jeanne West, Barbara (Tom) Henning and Mary Grace (James) Tredinnick; four grandchildren, Lynnette and Matthew Lorch, Elizabeth (Chris) Fugate and Catherine (Steve) Dal Cerro and four great grandchildren, Andrew and Joseph Fugate and Zoe and Theta Jane Dal Cerro. He is also survived by step grandchildren and great grandchildren, Mike (Lisa) Henning, Carolyn and Andy Martin family and the Lynn and Chris Daniel family. In addition, he is survived by his brother Edward (Jean) and sister, LaMira Riddiough. He is further survived by the children of Bo Schmitz, Jeanne's beloved late partner.

A funeral service will be held at CRESS FUNERAL SERVICE, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. Friends may greet the family at the funeral home from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. A luncheon will follow the service and interment will be at Rock Church Cemetery, Livingston, following the luncheon.

A thank you to BrightStar Memory Care for their many kindnesses to our Dad in his final weeks and to BrightStar Home Care staff, especially Sandi, his dedicated caregiver in his final years. Dad and Papa, we love you now and forever.


Cress Funeral Service
3610 Speedway Road, Madison
(608) 238-3434