John E. Koepke

John Edward Koepke, 66, of Rome and Eldorado, WI died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on Wednesday, October 5, 2016.



John was born in Fond du Lac, WI in 1950 to Edward and Laura (Dyer) Koepke. He attended Rosendale High School and graduated in 1968. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve that same year, entered active duty, and served as a Radioman on the USS Midway (CVA-41) off the coast of Vietnam from 1969-1971. He then rejoined the Naval Reserve and served from November 1971 to 1977. In 1977, he transferred into the Army Active Reserve. He accepted a direct commission as Second Lieutenant in 1982. He continued to serve in the Army Reserve for many years. In 2002 he was mobilized to active duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom and served at Ft. McCoy, WI. Throughout his honorable service, he was promoted several times and retired Lieutenant Colonel in 2010. He was a graduate of the Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, graduate of the Combined Arms Service Staff School, and graduate of the Command and General Staff Course.



John earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. After college, he worked as a draftsman and design engineer at several companies, including Mercury Marine of Fond du Lac, WI, Morgan Doors of Oshkosh, WI, and RapidPak of Appleton, WI. He was an avid golfer, enjoyed traveling, and was a talented woodworker.



John is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Deborah (Sharpe) Koepke; sons, Adam Koepke (Emily Stewart) and Aaron (Kristin) Koepke; grandsons, Cooper and Rory Koepke; and his sisters, Barbara Bluemke and Mary Lamb. He is also survived by many sisters and brothers-in-law as well as nieces and nephews.



The visitation will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 22, 2016 at Uecker-Witt Funeral Home, 524 N. Park Avenue in Fond du Lac. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 22, 2016 at the funeral home.



In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donations to the ALS Association Wisconsin Chapter or the Paralyzed Veterans of America. More information on how to donate can be found at www.alsawi.org/donate and www.pva.org.



The family would especially like to thank Ministry Health Care Hospice for the exceptional support of John and his family during his last months.