John Powless

John Dale Powless, 88, passed away at home Thursday, May 20th from end-stage colon cancer. He was born August 24, 1932 in Flora, Illinois, the eldest son of Cecil “Kayo” James and Mildred Marie Powless. Throughout his young life, his father’s employer, John Throgmorton, the owner of Flora’s pharmacy and soda fountain, helped him greatly, employing John as a soda jerk and serving him extra meals to help build up his lanky frame.

John was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing football (his favorite), basketball and tennis. He learned the latter with his father on their homemade court, Frog Island, and competed with and against his father and friends. John’s highly competitive reach extended from Midwestern junior tennis competitions to the national championships (today’s US Open) as a young man in the open and in each progressive age division since. He coached, captained and competed in International Cup competition until senior 85-and-older tournaments ceased due to the 2020 pandemic.

John had attended the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor on a basketball scholarship his freshman year, then spurred by a coaching change, transferred to Kentucky’s Murray State where he played basketball and tennis. During his senior year, he was undercut while attempting a dunk in a game resulting in broken vertebrae in his neck and two months in traction. He played tennis that spring and completed an undefeated collegiate tennis career in team match play.

John married high school sweetheart Delores Heater of Flora and had one son, John, before they divorced. Before coming to Wisconsin, he coached at a Paducah, KY, high school, Florida State University, and the University of Cincinnati, where he assisted the two-time NCAA champion and one-time runner-up Bearcat basketball teams.

In 1963, John joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison athletic staff as head tennis coach and assistant basketball coach. In 1967, he married UW grad Sheree Williams of Wauconda, IL. In 1968, he stopped coaching UW men’s tennis and became the Wisconsin men’s head basketball coach. In 1970, he welcomed his second son, Jason.

John left UW-Madison after the 1975-76 basketball season and worked as a tennis pro and director at Cherokee Country Club, Madison, until 1979 when he and Sheree began operating the John Powless Tennis Center on Madison’s west side. Over the years he taught then led youth summer camps first in basketball, then later in tennis.

John will be greatly missed by family and friends, past players and competitors, and his tennis community in Madison and around the world. He participated in several community groups, served on multiple national and international boards, and was a lifelong member of the Flora Elks club.

John was preceded in death by his parents, former wife Delores, and great-nephew Teddy. He is survived by former wife Sheree, son John (Helen) of Olney, IL, and grandchildren Cord (Springfield, IL), Heidi (Seattle, WA) and Taylor (Michelle - Stoughton, WI); son Jason (Laura Jeanne) of Madison and grandchildren Jack, Cecil, Clara, Joe, Gladys, Linus, Amos and Augie; sister Kay (Darrell), of Champaign, IL, and nieces Robyn (Mike) and Chris (Michelle); brother Robert (Judie) of Flora, IL, and nephews Andy (Willa), Chris (Ellen) and Joel (Shauna); aunts Opal, Katherine and Helen, and 11 great nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 3:00-7:00 pm on Thursday, June 3rd at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. Interment will take place on Friday at Forest Hills Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Blessed Sacrament School, 2112 Hollister Ave, Madison, WI, 53726; the Edgewood High School Athletic Fund, Edgewood Development Office, 2219 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711; or the UW American Indian Studies Fund, UW Foundation, US Bank Lockbox, PO Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807.