John P. Mutch

John P. Mutch, 79, of La Crosse, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 18, 2018, at Hillview Health Care Center surrounded by this family. He was born in Melrose Park, IL., on January 21, 1939, to Paul and Helen (Roubik) Mutch.

At the age of three, John’s family moved to La Crosse where John attended Holy Trinity Grade School and  Aquinas High School, graduating in 1956. After high school, John attended the Coyne Electrical School in Chicago, Ill., where he earned his Associate Degree in 1959. After returning to La Crosse, he started his electrical apprenticeship with his father Paul at Mutch Electric Inc. to become a Master Electrician. On September 9, 1961, he married Joan Stange at St. Johns Catholic Church in La Crosse, and started his family. John and Joan had three sons, Dan, Tom, and Steve. In 1987, John and Joan took over Mutch Electric Inc., after the passing of his father Paul. John’s two sons, Dan and Steve followed in their fathers and grandfathers footsteps by becoming electricians and working alongside their father. As the business grew, his son Tom contributed to the family business with his experience in engineering and contracting. Due to health issues, the business was passed to his two sons, Dan and Steve for the continuation of this 3^rd generation family business. After passing the business to his sons, this marked the end of John’s sixty year career in the electrical industry.

John enjoyed many activities outside of work which included bowling on the Wettstein Bowling Team for fifty nine years, family camping trips to Lynn Ann’s Campground, watching his sons play sports, and deer hunting with his father.  He also enjoyed traveling abroad with his wife. Some of John’s most enjoyable trips included family vacations to the Rose Bowl, Hawaii, and a Christmas Caribbean Island Cruise. He looked forward to watching the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers. In past years, John was a member of the Catholic Sokols and the Knights of Columbus.

John is survived by his wife Joan; three sons, Dan, Tom (Jane) and Steve (Angie) Mutch; five grandchildren, Melissa (Chris) Burkhardt, Paul, Erica, Michael, and Natalie Mutch; one great-granddaughter, Sawyer Burkhardt, and two sisters, Elizabeth Solverson and Mary Metz.

He was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Helen, and two brothers-in-law Jim Metz and Sam Solverson.

A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, June 25, 2018, in Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1333 13^th Street S., La Crosse Wis. Rev. Rick Roberts will officiate and Msgr. Steven Kachel will concelebrate, with Entombment to be held in the St. Francis of Assisi Mausoleum at the Catholic Cemetery. Family and friends may visit from 4 to 7:00 PM on Sunday, June 24, 2018, at Blaschke & Schneider Funeral Home, 1501 West Ave. South, La Crosse, Wis., with a Rosary to be held at 7:00 PM. Family and friends may also visit from 9:30 AM until the time of Mass at Church on Monday.

Memorials are preferred to the Holy Trinity Leo Hall Fund, Gunderson Heart Foundation and Research Institute, and Parkinson’s Disease.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Gundersen Hospice and Respite Care program, Dr. Ojelabi, and the staff at Hillview Health Care Center.