John D. Lehman, 85, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. He was born Aug. 2, 1936, in Kaukauna, son of George and Esther (Reidy) Lehman. John attended Holy Cross Catholic Church. Every important moment in his life has roots at Holy Cross, including his baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage and, now, his funeral liturgy.
He graduated from Kaukauna High School, Class of 1954, then served in the U.S. Navy. John graduated from UW-Oshkosh with a political science major. For most of John’s life, he worked as a salesman to the paper industry. For his volunteer work, John was a former usher at St. John’s Evangelist Catholic Church in Gillett, a member of the American Legion, a former president of the Berry Lake Property Association, a member of the Knights of Columbus in Oconto Falls and served on the election board at Underhill township.
John was united in marriage to Nancy Starke on June 28, 1958, at Holy Cross Catholic Church. John will always be remembered for his consistent devotion to Jesus and Mary. He had a friendly and fun disposition. His favorite sports teams were the Packers, Marquette, Badgers and Cubs. He had artistic passions for creating on tile and wood surfaces.
John followed the big bands, especially the musician Stan Kenton. St. Patrick’s Day was a favorite holiday, because of his Irish roots. Tuesday Berry Lake meetings were fun for him in his retirement. John and Nancy had adventures with traveling with friends here and overseas.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy; his children, Andrew (Susan) Lehman and Lynn (Kevin) Schmitting; and his grandchildren, Greta Taxis, Natalie Schmitting and Ryan Schmitting.
John was preceded in death by his parents, George and Esther Lehman; brothers, Patrick and James Lehman; and other relatives, Sue Lehman, Diane Lehman, Jason Lehman and Karolee Lehman.
The funeral liturgy for John will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 309 Desnoyer St., Kaukauna, with the Rev. David McElroy, O. Praem. officiating. Interment will take place in Appleton Highland Memorial Park. Visitation will be on Thursday from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass.
Memorial contributions are appreciated to Holy Cross Catholic Church or the Berry Lake Property Association.
John’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff and caregivers of New Perspective, Island Shore and Theda Care at Home Hospice for their exceptional compassion and care.
The family is being served by the Fargo Funeral Home of Kaukauna.
John D. Lehman
