John David Mewaldt

John David Mewaldt, age 73, of Racine, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, October 8, 2023.  John is survived by his three children, Becca (Jedd) Williams, Greg Mewaldt, and Rachel Mewaldt; his grandchildren, Brandon, T.J., and Emily Williams, and his three brothers, Richard (Sandra) Mewaldt, Steven (Cheryl Connelly) Mewaldt, and James (Ruth) Mewaldt and several nieces and nephews.

John was born in Sparta, WI on September 3, 1950, the third son of the late David and Harriette (nee: Anderson) Mewaldt.  After John graduated from Central High School in La Crosse, WI, in 1968, he went on to study Psychology at Cornell College, in Mt. Vernon, IA.  Here he was a member of Mu Lambda Sigma Fraternity and graduated in the spring of 1972.

After college, John enlisted in the US Army, where he spent three years abroad in Japan at Camp Zama.  It was there that he found his passion for counseling.  After the end of his active duty in 1976, John attended the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, where he earned a Master of Science in Vocational Counseling.  He later earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Parkside.

Upon his graduation in 1977, John was hired by The A Center, in Racine, WI, as a drug and alcohol counselor.  This began his 40+ year counseling career, where he touched the lives of many patients and co-workers while working in the Racine hospital system.

The pandemic, and his distaste for technology and working remotely, made it clear that it was time to retire from his beloved career.  After John retired in 2021, he spent some time traveling and eventually relocated to Fort Worth, Texas to be near his daughters and grandchildren.

John’s first priority was always his children and grandchildren.  He loved nothing more than supporting them by attending as many of their activities as possible.  John loved scouting and spent many summers working at Camp Decorah. He enjoyed hiking, biking, and camping in the outdoors, spending time at his property in Northern Wisconsin, riding his motorcycle and playing Sudoku. John was an avid supporter and volunteer of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Wisconsin chapter, where he was known as the ‘Cowbell Guy’ at their annual Extreme Hike event.  A nickname he was very proud of.

A memorial service will be held for John at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at the Hayward Funeral Home with Pastor Joel Bacon officiating. 

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, at http://fightcf.cff.org/goto/JohnMewaldt

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