John Jeffrey Lagerquist

John Jeffrey Lagerquist, “Lager,” died on August 15, 2021, after a long and fearless battle with cancer. Anyone that knew him knew his mind and body didn’t agree on much. He was determined to live on earth as long as he could until God called him. John had a calming presence, gentle soul, and enjoyed helping others—he was a true angel. 

He was born to George and Florence (Richardson) Lagerquist in Milwaukee, Wi., on February 22, 1939. He is now reunited with his parents, his brothers Dean and George, stepmother Bitzie and brother-in-law, George. 

John graduated from Wauwatosa High School in 1957. He took courses at both University of Wisconsin - Madison and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. In 1958 he trained at Great Lakes Naval Base and was stationed in Eritrea, Ethiopia, communicating with ships at sea. 

John met Carol Hanson on New Year’s Eve in 1962 at a gathering in Stevens Point, Wi. Soon after they met, they realized their love was meant to be. John married his bride on June 19, 1965 at St. Stephen Church and consistently held hands ever since. 

Quite visionary for his time, John loved computers. One of his favorite hobbies was sitting in his office tackling his latest computer challenge. He was a Systems Engineer at IBM for over 25 years. In 1964 he was chosen for a project called IBM 1800 which was designed for real-time data acquisition, analysis and control. Following his role at IBM, John was a Network Engineer/Consultant at Computech Resources for 15 years. 

John enjoyed Quarterback Club with his good friends where sharing beers and joking around took priority over watching his beloved Packers. He also looked forward to his monthly IBM retiree breakfasts. He loved to spend time with his three grandchildren, enjoyed vacations and visits to Marco Island, Fl., fishing and time with friends and family. He also had a true passion for “putzing.” Anything could be fixed. Due to his high level of patience, you could hand him any challenging project and he would spend hours on it until he found a solution. Evidence of this is found throughout his home where duct tape was often involved. 

He is survived by his wife Carol, children Christopher (Susan) Lagerquist, Erika (Richard) Rutley, grandchildren Anikka, Jenna and Matthew, sister Ellen (William) Weaver, cousins he thought of as siblings: Nicholas Krembs, Gretchen Krembs-Rossiter, Jane Greiling, and Christine (Donald) Kalscheur, brothers-in-law: Gordon (Linda) Hanson and Robert Hanson; sister-in-law Joanie Hanson; nieces and nephews and many other relatives and friends he held close to his heart.  

A special thanks to Unity Hospice for their care and compassion, Dr. Kevin Mortara and the Bellin Cancer Team and all friends and family. In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to Unity Hospice in memory of John at: Unity Hospice, Attn: Development, 2366 Oak Ridge Circle, De Pere, WI 54115 or online at https://unityhospice.org/donate/#donate. Donations can also be sent to American Legion Post 11, 1708 N Irwin Ave, Green Bay, WI 54302. 

Family and friends may visit at Resurrection Catholic Parish, 333 Hilltop Drive, Allouez, on Friday, August 20, from 11:00am until 12:45pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00pm with Fr. Tom Reynebeau officiating. The service will also be live-streamed on: https://www.gbres.org/live.