John J. Etienne

John J. Etienne, age 74 of Dubuque, IA completed his earthly journey on June 22, 2022 at Luther Manor Grand Meadows in Asbury with his loving family by his side.  To honor John’s life, his Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 241 Peosta Street in Peosta, IA with Rev. Michael Schueller and Rev. John Haugen officiating.  Family and friends are invited to visit one hour prior to the service at the church and also at John’s Celebration of Life which will be held from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Barrington Lakes Pavilion, 11197 Lakeview Drive in Dubuque, following his services at the church.  Full military honors will be accorded by the Dubuque Marine Corps League and burial will be in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Dubuque.  The Tri-State Cremation Center is humbly serving John’s family.

 

John was born on December 3, 1947 in Columbus, OH, the son to Joseph A. and Nancy J (Novak) Etienne.  He was raised with a strong work ethic, an innate sense of integrity, and a natural drive and determination to make the most out of every opportunity which would present itself throughout his life.  John graduated in 1969 from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering.  John married his soul-mate, Jacquilyn Weiland on June 7, 1969 in Rapid City, SD.  He went to work for DuPont in Parkersburg, WV until November of 1969 when he was called to serve his country.  He served in Vietnam from September of 1970 to September of 1971 in the 2nd Armored Division. Upon returning from Vietnam, John earned his Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from SDSM&T and returned to work at DuPont.  John and Jacquie moved to Dubuque in August of 1979 to work for John Deere.  After 31 years, he retired in May, 2010. John and Jacquie were blessed with two wonderful children.  John was a devoted husband and father.  He served 7 years as Wahlert Booster Club President investing his spare time in organizing the Dubuque parishes to staff the concessions stands for athletic events at Wahlert High School.  He proudly traveled with the Wahlert and Loras golf teams where he became known as (Homie).  John was a volunteer teacher for  Junior Achievement, he loved golfing with his friends, and he even did his best to perfect his fishing skills from time to time, but he really liked to skip rocks.  John filled many roles at John Deere over the years and took his responsibilities seriously, but none compared to his love and adoration for his family at home.  His sense of humor and story telling abilities were legendary, and his ability to make friends wherever he found himself was absolutely amazing to watch.  John’s humble spirit was continually on display for all to witness, and the memories which he leaves behind now thankfully reside within their broken hearts.  John spent his life focused on all the right areas which truly matter in this world:  faith, family, and fun.  He understood that balance was not only a prerequisite to a truly joy filled life, but that it would also bless the lives of those around him whom he loved so much.  As sad as we are today with the realization that John’s bright light will not shine quite as brightly in our daily lives moving forward, we are forever grateful for the 74 years in which the Lord was willing to share him with us.  Thank you, John, for leading by example and teaching us so many important lessons along your journey.  May the Lord bless you and keep you safe in His loving arms until we meet again.   

 

Those left behind to cherish the memory of John include,

 

his beautiful bride of 53 years,

Jacquilyn “Jacquie” Etienne, Dubuque, IA;

 

his two loving children,

Joel (Amy) Etienne, Norwalk, IA,

and Jocelyn (Brent) Harseim, Fisher, IL;

 

his five adored grandchildren,

Peyton Etienne, Madelyn Etienne, Kinley Jo Etienne, Ella Harseim, and Gage Dean Harseim;

 

his siblings,

Michele (Mike) Keegan, Kingsport, TN,

Larry (Ann) Etienne, Omaha, NE,

and Susan (Steve) Arensen, Florence, SD;

 

along with numerous extended family, friends, and neighbors.

 

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Terry Etienne, his grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

 

John’s family would like to thank Dr. Liaboe and Trish, the staff at 3rd Floor Summit at UnityPoint, along with the nurses and staff at Grand Meadows and Hospice of Dubuque for all of their professional and compassionate care.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s name may be made to Hospice of Dubuque, the Special Olympics of South Dakota, or Luther Manor Grand Meadows.

 

Online condolences may be shared with John’s family at www.tristatecremationcenter.com

Visitation

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
241 Peosta Street, Peosta, Iowa, 52068
June 30th, 2022 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Mass of Christian Burial

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
241 Peosta Street, Peosta, Iowa, 52068
June 30th, 2022 at 10:30 AM

Full Military Honors

St. John the Baptist Church
241 Peosta Street, Peosta, Iowa, 52068
June 30th, 2022 at 11:30 AM

Celebration of Life

Barrington Lakes Pavilion
11197 Lakeview Drive, Dubuque, Iowa, 52003
June 30th, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM

9 comments on “John J. Etienne
  1. Ron & Audrey Wiegman says:

    We are saddened to hear of John’s passing. A life well lived but taken too soon. John was a great and best friend ever, and will always be missed. He was genuine in every regard, and everything he accomplished was with distinction. Many have benefited by knowing John – mentoring and coaching was always natural for him, being a great role model by doing things the right way and for the right reasons. Always absolutely proud of his family, and their achievements, and adored Jacquie, and always had a big smile when talking about family.
    While we will always miss him, he leaves us with great memories. Our
    sincere condolences to Jacquie, Joel, Jocelyn and families.
    Ron & Audrey Wiegman

  2. Gary Bundenthal says:

    I first met John at JA. We became fast friends and enjoyed golfing together. Truly a great guy. My life was much better by knowing John and his wonderful family.

  3. Laurie & Bill Zelnio says:

    I met John when I first started at John Deere. He was most willing to help, share information, teach, and mentor others. Years later John joined our Corporate Engineering team to spread his expertise, enthusiasm, and mentoring to other John Deere Environment, Health and Safety professionals across cultures and around the world. He was the most gracious, committed John Deere professional. John was the type of person that Founder John Deere would be proud of. We are sorry for your family’s loss of this great guy and hope your many happy memories bring you comfort through this difficult time.

  4. Barbara Duccini says:

    Jacquie & Family, My deepest sympathy for the loss of John. I had the honor to work with John for 20 years. He was great manager of several areas, including Occupational Health, where I was the lead nurse. As busy as John was, he always found time to give emotional support to his employees in times of their own family losses or other problems. John will be remembered always as kind, caring, and just an all-around great guy!

  5. Steve Wohlwend says:

    I had the pleasure of working with John at John Deere. John was one of the most competent, humble, and genuine people I ever encountered. He always brought level-head smarts to the most difficult of challenges. You could always count on John’s wisdom. He was brilliant and professional. You always wanted John on your team. He never came to work with a personal agenda, but rather what was best for the business drove his behavior. Reading John’s obituary was touching, but also a very accurate appraisal of the type of person John was. It was with great sadness when I learned of John’s death. This world lost an amazing man and heaven is a better place today. God bless John!

  6. Don Foley says:

    Mrs. Etienne and Family: I am saddened to learn of John’s death and I send my condolences to you. John was very well admired for his honesty and ability. He treated everyone with respect and will be greatly missed by all. May he rest in Peace.

  7. Art Hunt says:

    I am shocked and saddened to read of John’s passing. Prayers for comfort for Jacque and his family.

  8. Luke Vogel says:

    Jacquie & Family, My deepest sympathy for the loss of John. I will always remember him for his sense of humor and his love of his family. He was so proud of Joel and Jocelyn and I am sure he was proud of his grandkids too.

  9. Jo and Loras says:

    Dear Jacquie, Joel and Jocelyn
    Our sincere condolences on the passing of John. We had no idea he was Ill. He was the epitome of the word “gentle”man. Our best to you all at this difficult time.

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