John Robert Hoaglund Jr.

A short battle with cancer claimed the life of John "Jack" Hoaglund, on September 9, 2014. Age 81. John is survived by his wife of 57 years, Susan Benn Hoaglund, his sons Karl (Kris), Eric and John III, Eric's wife Susan Murphy Hoaglund, and by his grandchildren, Nathaniel, Ryan, Kathryn, Anya and Ian Hoaglund. He is further survived by his sister, Marilyn Hoaglund Farr, her husband Douglas Farr, John's brother Keith Hoaglund and Keith's wife Elise Gray Hoaglund. John was born in Rockford, Illinois on March 25, 1933 to John and Margarete (Haeggquist) Hoaglund. While at Rockford East High School, in 1951, he set a state swimming record for the 100 yard backstroke. He graduated in 1951 as senior class president. He was then recruited to swim at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a four year varsity letterman, four-time All American, and president of the W Club (the club for letterman at the University). He placed third in the NCAA championships for the 100 yard backstroke in 1952, and competed in the 1952 and 1956 final Olympic tryouts. At the University he was a member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity. He received a B.S. degree in economics in 1955 and, having co...[more]

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eted Air Force ROTC training, entered the Air Force as a second lieutenant. He completed jet pilot training in the very early years of that technology and rose to the rank of captain in the Air Force before leaving the Air Force in 1959. He joined the Wisconsin Air Guard in 1964 to fly KC-97 refueling tankers and retired as a major in 1975. While in the Air Force, John married his college sweetheart and the love of his life, Susan Benn. They would celebrate 57 happy years of marriage and raise three boys together. After completing his active military service, John returned to the UW to study law. Upon graduation he joined the firm of Wickham, Borgelt, Skogstad and Powell in Milwaukee. He later became a senior partner in the firm of Gibbs, Roper, Loots and Williams in Milwaukee, and after that a sole practitioner in Waukesha County. He was a successful trial lawyer, the President of the Insurance Trial Counsel of Wisconsin (1979-80), State Chairman of the Defense Research Institute (1983-84) and a member of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association. He was twice elected to the Pewaukee School board (1974-81), and served as president of the Pewaukee Kiwanis Club, where he was awarded the Hixon award for service. He was a past member of the Pewaukee Yacht club, the Pewaukee Chamber of Commerce, the Nagawaukee Men's Golf Club, and an elder of Faith Springs Presbyterian Church (f/k/a Zion). He loved sailing, golf, skiing with family and traveled to at least a dozen Elderhostel programs in the US and abroad. John loved music and sang with the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and for 20 years with the Milwaukee Choristers. He served as president of the Choristers, and participated in two singing tours with them in Europe, accompanied by his wife Susan. He was also a former board member of the Milwaukee Opera Theater. John nurtured his love of flying all of his life. He and Susan flew his Beechcraft Musketeer airplane, on several trips across the US, Canada and to the Bahamas. He was a member of the Milwaukee chapter of the Quiet Birdmen aviation club and a close friend to all at the Waukesha Aviation Club. His family knew him best as a devoted husband and father, ever patient, gentle, generous and good humored and with the strongest of ethical integrity. We will miss him greatly. Friends and family will gather at Krause Funeral Home on Saturday, September 27, 2014 from 1:00 to 3:45 PM with a memorial service at 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Milwaukee Choristers, the Waukesha Aviation Club, Faith Springs Presbyterian Church, the AFS Foundation of Greater Milwaukee or to the charity of your choice would be most appreciated.