John P. Prodoehl

John P. Prodoehl, age 58, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 1, 2025. He was born on June 2, 1967.

John was born in Antigo, Wisconsin to Jack & Bonnie Prodoehl. His dad was a farmer and his mom was a nurse. Growing up on a farm is where he learned his work ethic and his love for the outdoors. Whenever he had the opportunity, he went to Bass Lake Country Club and spent hours honing his golfing skills. John’s biggest claim to “fame” was beating Steve Stricker at the state golf tournament in high school. In his teens and early 20’s, he won several club and city wide tournaments. Throughout his life he continued his passion for the game by teaching his wife to play along with his three children. He looked forward to golf trips to Michigan; weekends playing with his nephews; playing with his dad, sister and brother at Bass Lake; but mostly loved just spending time on the golf course.

John graduated from UW Madison with degrees in Risk Management, Finance and International Business. He went on to work at Principal Financial Group, formerly BCI Group, in Appleton for 35 years. During his time at Principal Financial ESOP division, he held many different positions but loved his role as VP of Consulting. He was known in the industry as one of the most knowledgeable, thoughtful, and trusted consultants. In his office, he was a wonderful mentor, friend, good listener, and truly a genuine person.

It was through a fellow coworker (Stacey’s cousin) that John had met the love of his life. A year later, they started dating and were engaged within 3 months. They started their family a few years later with the arrival of their daughter Eve, followed by their twins Jack and Lily. He said the best day of his life was the day he became a Dad. He loved his kids unconditionally and was immensely proud of them.

In his free time, John enjoyed landscaping, splitting wood, making maple syrup, and playing card/board games. He took pride in his lawn, sometimes creating “designs” so when he flew home from a business trip, he could see his lawn from above. He also loved traveling, especially to National Parks with his family. In his lifetime, he visited 32 out of the 42 national parks. While his favorite place was in the mountains, John was always up to seeing different places and visiting friends that lived around the world. To him, any place that had hikes or a view was a win in his books.

Until his last day, John remained kind and humorous, always expressing gratitude for a life filled with love, good friends, and memorable experiences. Though he wished he could have stayed longer, he had no regrets and exemplified a life well lived.

John will be remembered when we see a sunset, mountains, a challenging hike, a golf course, an impeccably groomed lawn, perfectly piled wood, a bottle of maple syrup or bourbon, and a game of Catan or Sheepshead.

John is survived by his loving wife, Stacey; their children: Eve (Sean) Roberts – Milwaukee, Jack Prodoehl – Kaukauna, and Lily Prodoehl – Kaukauna; siblings: Laurie (Dave) Packard – Antigo, WI; Leah (Chuck) Ludlum – Madison, WI; Pete (Cindy) Prodoehl – Fort Myers, FL; Carmen (Brian) Perrodin – Tomahawk, WI; brothers and sisters-in-law: Sheila (John) Smith -Williamston, MI; Ted (Jeanne) Urban – Barnes, WI; Greg (Chrisanne) Urban – Rochester, MN; Bill (Dawn) Urban – Marshfield, WI; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Jack & Bonnie; Stacey’s parents: Ed & Kathlen Urban; niece Katie Urban; beloved cousin, Billy Prodoehl; and close friend, Bret Saathoff.

Visitation for John will be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at Verkuilen-Van Deurzen Family Funeral Home, Kaukauna location, 2401 Fieldcrest Dr., Kaukauna, WI from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 6:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Monday, September 15, 2025 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 124 W. 10th St., Kaukauna, WI at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. For online condolences, please visit www.verkuilenfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family to be dispersed between the National Park Service and Door2Dreams in John's honor.