John Francis Hager, 63, De Pere, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Monday morning, April 18, 2022. The son of Delas “Pete†and Josephine (Van Deurzen) Hager was born in Green Bay on August 21, 1958.
On August 16, 1980, John married Charlotte Baeten at St. Mary’s Church in De Pere. Together, they had three children, whom John was fiercely proud of. For two decades, he could be found coaching the kids on fields and in gyms throughout De Pere. He was overjoyed to become a grandfather, and spent time playing with his three beloved grandchildren every chance he got.
The cottage in Townsend was John’s happy place. He enjoyed being up there for campfires, fireworks, and laying on the raft. He loved traveling with family, attending Marquette games, reading and, of course, giving speeches and toasts.
John received his degree in Accounting from Marquette University in 1979 and his Law Degree from Marquette University Law School in 1982. He was very proud of having founded and managed two business and estate planning law firms, both of which grew to be among the largest in Northeastern Wisconsin.
He took pride in knowing the names of all the spouses and significant others of his teammates, as well as the names of their children. He enjoyed spending time and even playing hide and seek with the children of teammates as they came into the office. John also enjoyed starting each morning with going around the office and saying good morning to each and every one of the staff members, even though some people thought he was crazy for doing so.
From a community involvement standpoint, John and his family were proud of what they gave back to the community, a community that gave them so much. While he was a recipient of several awards recognizing his community involvement, John was most proud of the Green Bay Packers Community Quarterback Award in 2013 and the Wisconsin Hospital Association Award in 2017, both of which recognize the extensive and lifelong involvement that John had at St. Vincent Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center and Prevea Clinic.
This longtime involvement gave him a tremendous amount of satisfaction and enabled him to meet an extraordinary group of people. It was his passion and love to do all that he could for these health care institutions and, as such, these awards meant a great deal to him. In 2020, John received the Leo Frigo Award from the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Green Bay Program. This award had deep meaning to John because of his contact with Leo Frigo and his family, and knowing that Leo was a true icon in the community.
John is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Charlotte; his children, Kyle (Emily), Claire (Rob) and Craig; and grandchildren, Landon, Brody and Lila. He is further survived by his sister, Annie; Charlotte’s family; nieces, nephews and other extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Pete and Josephine; two brothers, Jim and Don; two infant siblings; his nephew, Jim; brother-in-law, Stephen; and other members of his extended family.
Family and friends may visit at St. Mary Catholic Church, 4805 Sportsman Drive, De Pere beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2022. A Memorial Mass will begin at noon with Fr. Matthew Faucett officiating and Deacon Paul Umentum assisting.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya at www.campunahliya.org/give. |