Vanicek, John F.

John F. Vanicek, 76, of Muskego, Wis., passed away Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, at St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis. The family will hold a visitation from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Oxford Junction, with a memorial service to follow at 2 p.m., and internment at Mayflower Cemetery.

Survivors include his loving wife, Nelda; daughter, Elizabeth; granddaughter, Chloe, all of Milwaukee, Wis.; and brother, Anton Vanicek of Muscatine.

Also surviving are nieces, nephews and their families, Paul (Tammy) Flynn of Blue Grass, Frederick (Gretchen) Flynn of Eldridge, Thomas (Betsy) Flynn of Tekonsha, Mich., and Kathleen Flynn, Barbara Jo Flynn (Mark) Erickson, Maureen Flynn (Jerry) Currier and Michael Flynn, all of Davenport.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Velma (Vanicek) Flynn; and brother, Otto Vanicek.

John was born April 20, 1933, in Oxford Junction, Iowa, the son of Antone and M. Elizabeth (Wosoba) Vanicek. He graduated from Oxford Junction High School in 1951. He served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957. After honorable discharge, he went to Iowa State University to major in physics. He met his future wife, Nelda Chamberlain at college in Psychology 101. After college John began his 32 year career with AC/Delco Electronics.

John and Nelda married on Nov. 14, 1964, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Oxford Junction. In their early years of marriage, they moved with AC/Delco to Massachusetts, Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, Seattle and Wisconsin. He enjoyed gardening, collecting coins, crossword puzzles, but John's greatest love was his family.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in John's memory.