Obituary for John Wheelwright Dewey
It is with great sadness that the family of John Wheelwright Dewey, Kenosha, WI, announces his passing on Monday, April 13, 2020, in the presence of loving family at the age of 96.
John was born in Peoria, Illinois, on August 23, 1923, to the late Maurice Adams Dewey and Alice (nee Wheelwright) Dewey. John grew up in Galva, Illinois, where he graduated from Galva High School. He attended Dartmouth College until called to serve his country in WWII.
John loved telling stories. Some of his favorites were about his childhood adventures growing up, going out west to a Dude Ranch and visiting his aunts and uncles.
John shared stories about his WWII U. S. Army service including mountain training in Colorado, working with Rex, a messenger dog, in Virginia, and some of his experiences in Italy fighting with the Tenth Mountain Division. On visiting Italy decades later, he was proud to see that towns he helped to liberate were rebuilt, and people were enjoying their day-to-day lives.
John was an avid horseman enjoying riding and fox-hunting (draghunting) in Racine, and at the Wayne-DuPage Hunt in Illinois. John loved to travel with his wife and children to visit family and to explore new areas on the east and west coasts. In his later years he enjoyed traveling in France and Italy. Through riding and traveling he met many life-long friends in Racine, Delafield and in Europe.
John was proud of his career in the newspaper business. After being discharged from the Army he returned to Illinois with his family and took his first newspaper job at the Kewanee Star Courier. From there he went to work for the Canton Daily Ledger. While at the Ledger he wrote and published, Fecit, his memoirs of experiences in WWII fighting with the Tenth Mountain Division. These memoirs became a chapter in the book Packs On! Memoirs of the 10th Mountain Division in WWII by A. B. Feuer.
From Illinois John went to Davenport, Iowa, as Director of Personnel for Lee Enterprises, parent company to numerous print and broadcast media including what is now the Quad-City Times. When Lee Enterprises acquired the Racine Journal Times in Racine, Wisconsin, John Dewey was named publisher. In 1984 John became the Vice-President and General Manager of C. W. Brown Publishing in Delafield, Wisconsin. In retirement John remained active in the newspaper business by serving on the Board of Directors of the Janesville Gazette.
John is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Betty (nee Melter) O. Dewey. Also surviving are: his five daughters, Mary Jean (Craig) Lucas, Kathryn Elizabeth (John) Bowen, Alice Marilla (Ron) Pratt, Susan Dunbar Riley, and Christine Ann (Dale) Martin; his stepsons, Tom (Lori) Overson and Jim (Debbie) Overson; his brother Phelps T. Dewey and sister Judith Ann Newell; his sisters-in-law Mary (Nee Settle) Bowersett, Carol (Nee Settle) Bowersett, and Betty (nee Weber) Dewey; his 10 grand-children, 9 great grand-children with one to come, 4 step-grandchildren and 5 step-great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.
John is predeceased by his parents; his beloved wife of 50 years and mother of his 6 children, Mary Kathryn (nee Bowersett) Dewey; his son, Phelps Dunham Dewey; his son-in-law Kyle Riley; his twin brothers Charles A. Dewey and Maurice Adams (Janet) Dewey, Jr.; and his brother-in-law Richard Newell.
A visitation will be held Saturday, August 22, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Haskell Funeral & Cremation Services in Wyoming. Funeral service will follow the visitation at 2:00 p.m. Burial will take place in the Toulon Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Proko Funeral Home, Kenosha, WI, and Haskell Funeral Home in Toulon, IL.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Alliance or to the cause of your choice.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Meadowmere Southport and Hospice Alliance for their care and compassion.
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street Phone: (262) 654-3533
Visit & Sign John’s Online Memorial Book at:
www.prokofuneralhome.com
John was born in Peoria, Illinois, on August 23, 1923, to the late Maurice Adams Dewey and Alice (nee Wheelwright) Dewey. John grew up in Galva, Illinois, where he graduated from Galva High School. He attended Dartmouth College until called to serve his country in WWII.
John loved telling stories. Some of his favorites were about his childhood adventures growing up, going out west to a Dude Ranch and visiting his aunts and uncles.
John shared stories about his WWII U. S. Army service including mountain training in Colorado, working with Rex, a messenger dog, in Virginia, and some of his experiences in Italy fighting with the Tenth Mountain Division. On visiting Italy decades later, he was proud to see that towns he helped to liberate were rebuilt, and people were enjoying their day-to-day lives.
John was an avid horseman enjoying riding and fox-hunting (draghunting) in Racine, and at the Wayne-DuPage Hunt in Illinois. John loved to travel with his wife and children to visit family and to explore new areas on the east and west coasts. In his later years he enjoyed traveling in France and Italy. Through riding and traveling he met many life-long friends in Racine, Delafield and in Europe.
John was proud of his career in the newspaper business. After being discharged from the Army he returned to Illinois with his family and took his first newspaper job at the Kewanee Star Courier. From there he went to work for the Canton Daily Ledger. While at the Ledger he wrote and published, Fecit, his memoirs of experiences in WWII fighting with the Tenth Mountain Division. These memoirs became a chapter in the book Packs On! Memoirs of the 10th Mountain Division in WWII by A. B. Feuer.
From Illinois John went to Davenport, Iowa, as Director of Personnel for Lee Enterprises, parent company to numerous print and broadcast media including what is now the Quad-City Times. When Lee Enterprises acquired the Racine Journal Times in Racine, Wisconsin, John Dewey was named publisher. In 1984 John became the Vice-President and General Manager of C. W. Brown Publishing in Delafield, Wisconsin. In retirement John remained active in the newspaper business by serving on the Board of Directors of the Janesville Gazette.
John is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Betty (nee Melter) O. Dewey. Also surviving are: his five daughters, Mary Jean (Craig) Lucas, Kathryn Elizabeth (John) Bowen, Alice Marilla (Ron) Pratt, Susan Dunbar Riley, and Christine Ann (Dale) Martin; his stepsons, Tom (Lori) Overson and Jim (Debbie) Overson; his brother Phelps T. Dewey and sister Judith Ann Newell; his sisters-in-law Mary (Nee Settle) Bowersett, Carol (Nee Settle) Bowersett, and Betty (nee Weber) Dewey; his 10 grand-children, 9 great grand-children with one to come, 4 step-grandchildren and 5 step-great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.
John is predeceased by his parents; his beloved wife of 50 years and mother of his 6 children, Mary Kathryn (nee Bowersett) Dewey; his son, Phelps Dunham Dewey; his son-in-law Kyle Riley; his twin brothers Charles A. Dewey and Maurice Adams (Janet) Dewey, Jr.; and his brother-in-law Richard Newell.
A visitation will be held Saturday, August 22, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Haskell Funeral & Cremation Services in Wyoming. Funeral service will follow the visitation at 2:00 p.m. Burial will take place in the Toulon Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Proko Funeral Home, Kenosha, WI, and Haskell Funeral Home in Toulon, IL.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Alliance or to the cause of your choice.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Meadowmere Southport and Hospice Alliance for their care and compassion.
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street Phone: (262) 654-3533
Visit & Sign John’s Online Memorial Book at:
www.prokofuneralhome.com