Rev. John W. Kaplinski

Reverend John W. Kaplinski went to be with Jesus for all of eternity on October 25, 2024 after a long battle with chronic pain.  He was born on September 29, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois to Dolores and Thaddeus (Ted) Kaplinski.  His family grew up in a small suburb of Homewood, Illinois. He attended Roman Catholic parochial grade school and was confirmed at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in 1959.  When in high school the family moved to La Porte, Indiana where he graduated from high school.

After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a sonar technician.  He served for six years spending 23 months in the Viet Nam War on two destroyers, the USS Richard S. Edwards and the USS Rowan.  He participated in Operation Linebacker and the Battle of Haiphong.

After his service John attended and graduated from UW-Oshkosh with a Medical Technologist Degree in 1977.  He worked twenty years in this field at Mercy Medical Center, UW-Oshkosh Student Health Center, and Ceape Clinic.  He then returned to school at Fox Valley Technical College and earned an Associate Degree in Applied Science.  He worked at Plexus for five years as an equipment technician.

While working at Mercy he met Margie Krenke who was a nurse in the intensive care unit.  After a seven-month courtship the couple were united in marriage on February 6, 1981.  They were devoted to each other during their 43 years of marriage until Margie’s death on June 5, 2024.  They were members of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Oshkosh for several decades.

In his mid-fifties John felt called by God to become a Lutheran pastor.  He attended and graduated from Iowa’s Wartburg Theological Seminary in 2006 with a Master of Divinity Degree.  He was ordained June 24, 2006 at St. Andrews.  He pastored a three-point parish in west central Wisconsin for five years.  He served as chaplain to the American Legion Hanson-Lien Post 368 in Hixton, Wisconsin.

Upon retirement the couple moved to Waupaca.  They joined St. John’s Lutheran Church in Saxeville.

John enjoyed bike cycling.  Doing as many as nine kilometric century bike rides every summer.  He also enjoyed fishing, hunting, and hiking.  The couple especially enjoyed annual fishing trips to the Three Lakes area in northern Wisconsin.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brother James, his sister Catherine, and various aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins.  He is survived by his sisters, Elizabeth (Joe Burey) and Carol (Rick Siefert).

The family would like to thank the staffs of St. Croix Hospice and Crossroads of Weyauwega for the compassionate care they gave John during his last weeks.

Private Graveside Services will be held.

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