John Jaeschke

John Jaeschke

John Jaeschke, passed away peacefully at Badger Prairie Health Care Center on June 11, 2020.  As a family, we wish to express our love and appreciation for John’s extraordinary palliative and hospice care by all staff while he was there.  He was 78 years old, born to Inga Caroline (Wahlhus) R.N., and Walter Henry Jaeschke, M.D., at the Wisconsin General Hospital (now University of Wisconsin Hospital) in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 17, 1941.  John was married to Karen M. Jeske at Bethel Lutheran Church in September 1964 and have had a loving, caring and wonderful marriage.  John was loving and dedicated to and is survived by his wife Karen, children Steven, and Jeff along with grandchildren Mykala, Jay, Jhean-Luc and Natasha.

John graduated from West High School in Madison and entered the University of Wisconsin and completed a Bachelor’s Degree Science Zoology (1963) and Master of Science Curriculum and Instruction (1974).  He was an accomplished musician and played alto saxophone in the University of Wisconsin Marching Band in two Rose Bowl games in 1960 and 1963.  He performed in both concert’s and recordings with the University of Wisconsin Concert Band.  He was an accomplished Pianist, played with Madison Studio Orchestra, and enjoyed a lifetime of music.  He enjoyed attending concerts and sporting event with his children as well as the grandchildren in particular Mykala (Orchestra-Cello, Band-Euphonium, and Choir), Jay (Band-Euphonium, Orchestra-Cello, Choir and a Quarter Back in Football),  Jhean-Luc (Band-Euphonium, Orchestra-Cello and Hockey) and Natasha (Orchestra/Band-String Bass and Hockey).  John had a lifelong career as a Teacher for the Madison Metropolitan School District with appointments at West High School (Biology), Memorial High School (Field Biology), Thomas Jefferson Middle School (Natural Science and Learning Coordinator) and worked with the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  John led expeditions with high school faculty and took high school students to Saint Jekyll island, Georgia, and desert south west to the Portal Research Station in Arizona for Zoological studies with the National Science Museum.  He served as a Middle Level President and was on the Board of Directors for National Science Teachers.  He was also a candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space program and did special outreach work with “Science on Saturday’s.”  He received the Star Award from National Science Teachers Association for innovative outstanding teaching and United States Navy Science Cruiser Award for teaching innovation.  John’s love of nature and photography also encompassed time editing and publishing a book “215 The Bird House”, serving as President of the Wisconsin Audubon Council and Madison Audubon Society, Verona Rock and Gem Club.  John was also active for his entire life with Boy Scouts of America and was an Eagle Scout, participated in a World Jamboree, and received special recognition as a Silver Beaver Award recipient for exemplary and outstanding leadership and Scouting Lifetime Achievement Award for the dedication to youth and families over the course of his life.

The family enjoyed traveling globally with emphasis on earth science interactions and outreaches.  Later on, he travelled with his wife Karen to South America, the Galapagos Islands, East Asia Pacific Region, Europe and across the continental United States.  He was an active church member at West Middleton Lutheran Church as well as an avid prairie restoration gardener with wife Karen (in particular around their family home in Verona, Wisconsin near the “Ice Age Trail”).  John enjoyed creating and sharing nature exploration’s through extensive movies and shows with some on Wisconsin Public Television (in particular “215 The Birdhouse”) and Local Television Stations with a televised short natural science films on “Outdoors Calling” titled “Desert Mystique”.  Also, he enjoyed going on Jeep Jamboree’s with Karen!

John and family are members of West Middleton Lutheran Church.  Due to Covid-19 a Memorial Service will be held at West Middleton Lutheran Church, 3763 Pioneer Rd, Verona, Wisconsin at a later date and time to be announced. Cress Funeral and Cremation Services is serving his family.

In lieu of flowers to the family donation can be made to the International Crane Foundation In Memory of the passing of John A. Jaeschke.

https://www.savingcranes.org/donation/?givalanche=yTCVyR5

https://www.savingcranes.org/

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

Cress Center

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