John A. Milisauskas, age 75, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 13, 2024, surrounded by his loving family.
On October 18, 1948, John was born to Jonas and Marija (Smailys) Milisauskas in Augustdorf, Germany in a displaced persons camp, which was an American Sector of occupied Germany. He emigrated to the United States and lived in Maine with his parents and older brother Sarunas in 1950. In 1952, he and his family moved from Maine to Kenosha.
He graduated from St. Joseph Catholic High School. He met his wife Barbara McGovern in 1964. They were united in marriage on December 2, 1972, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church.
John graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a bachelor’s degree in Math and later earned a master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Throughout the years he worked in workforce development at Wisconsin Job Service, Private Industry Council and at the Kenosha County Job Center. In his retirement years, he was the interim executive director at the Kenosha Literacy Council and United Way of Kenosha and provided medical data reports to the state of Wisconsin for Aurora Healthcare.
Throughout his life, John believed in service and in giving back to others. He coached youth soccer through KASL and boys and girls soccer at St. Joseph High School, youth basketball through CYO and AAU and girls basketball at Ruether High School, worked the soup kitchen at Grace Lutheran Church, lectored and worked the festival at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, volunteered at Head Start, mentored students at Kenosha Unified, and was on the boards of the Spanish Center of Kenosha, CYO, WWIBC, the Kenosha Literacy Council, St. Thomas School and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kenosha.
He was awarded the Green Bay Packers Service Award: Giving Back to Others and the Mahone Award-Living Legend. December 9, 2011 was declared John Milisauskas Day by the Kenosha County Executive.
John was a proud Lithuanian. He has visited his family in Lithuania nine times since 1989. He was also an avid Wisconsin Badger and Green Bay Packer fan.
John is survived by his wife, Barb of 51 years; his children: Lisa Milisauskas-Feldmeier of Milwaukee, Theresa (Brad) Schwer of Kenosha and Beth (Dan) Anderson of Kenosha; his grandchildren: Frankie (Jake) Ruschfeier of Des Moines, Iowa, Nicholas Feldmeier of Milwaukee, Julia, Emma and Anna Schwer of Kenosha and Donnelly and Isabella Anderson of Kenosha; his sister Anne (Alvydas) Arbas, his brother Anthony (Ramona) Milisauskas, sister-in-law Vita Milisauskas; brother-in-law Terry (Pat) McGovern, sister-in-law Marilyn (Ed) Epping, sister-in-law Nancy McGovern, brother-in-law Bob McGovern, and many nieces and nephews who loved and adored him.
John was preceded in death by his parents Jonas and Marija, his brother Sarunas, father-in-law Frank McGovern, mother-in-law Joyce McGovern and brother-in-law Jim McGovern.
The family would like to thank Kenosha Fire and Rescue and the staff at the Intensive Care Unit at Froedtert South for their compassion and care.
Visitation with the family will be on Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Proko Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 22, 2024, at the funeral home and interment will follow in St. George Cemetery, Kenosha, WI. Memorial donations may be made to The Shalom Center, the Kenosha Literacy Council, Hunger Task Force or the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation, in John’s memory.
