Waunakee lost one of its treasures Sunday when John Laubmeier passed away. John was a teacher, mentor, leader, friend, and true family man. There is no way to describe all of the contributions to the Waunakee School District and Village of Waunakee that John made in this short tribute. I will just share one of the lessons John taught me, which was to try to find a win/win for each situation that presents itself. Treat both sides with respect and be able to shake hands at the end of the conversation. John was presented with the worst kind of news about two years ago, and when I think back over this time, a few things come to mind. John really didn't have an opportunity to win his final battle. From my perspective, he did manage to find some wins along the way. The biggest was using his time to focus and accomplish a few things he may not have otherwise. He also battled this terrible disease and beat the expectations. He seemed to get some satisfaction from that. I never saw him quit, and he always had a positive attitude. I'm very fortunate, as are many in the community, to have been given the opportunity to be a part of John's life. Our community is a better place because John chose to share himself with us. I will end this with what I think John was most proud of, his family. If you wanted to see pride in John, all you had to do was bring up and hear him talk about his wife Nancy and his children John and Angela. He would say they are his legacy.
Thank you John!
Chris Zellner
Waunakee Village President