John Honeck, Sr.

John L. Honeck, Sr., 80, of La Crosse, passed away at his home on Sunday, July 30, 2017.

He was born on November 29, 1936, in West Bend, Wis., to John and Anita (Fassbender) Honeck. He was a 1954 graduate of Milwaukee Rufus King High School. John moved to La Crosse where he attended UW- La Crosse.   At that time, he also met Sharon Schmidt, whom he married on January 28, 1967, at Holy Trinity parish in La Crosse.

John worked at the Trane Company in La Crosse for 31 years, but he also loved the restaurant business. He interrupted his career with Trane to own two restaurants, Monkey’s Roost in Melrose and The London House in Elm Grove, Wis., which he operated for several years. He returned to the Trane Company, but John couldn’t resist getting back into the restaurant business too, so he opened Honeck’s Restaurant in La Crosse.

John tended bar at several La Crosse establishments since his college days, but mainly at Schmidty’s. He taught bartending classes at W.W.T.I. and also authored a book on bartending entitled “The Happy Host”.

John was an avid golfer and was a 45-year member of Virg’s Golf Group. He also bowled in the Men’s Monday Night League at South Lanes for many years. John collected model trains and had an extensive HO Model train collection. He also enjoyed many trips to Lambeau Field for Packer games with his brother, Bill, and his family over the years and loved spending his winters in Florida for the past 13 years with Tom and Sandy Besl.

John is survived by his wife, Sharon; a son, John L. Honeck, Jr., of Rochester, Minn.; a daughter, Lisa (Tom) Butler of Commerce Township, Mich.; four grandchildren, Connor and Colin Iverson, and Jack and Sydney Butler; one brother, William (Judith) Honeck of Muskego, Wis.; in-laws, Sandy and Tom Besl of Melrose, Charles and Sandy Schmidt of La Crosse, Laurence and Janet Schmidt of Festus, Mo., and Susan Schmidt of La Crosse; and many nieces and nephews and other extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister-in-law, Marilyn Honeck; and brothers-in-law, William and Michael Schmidt.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 3 ^rd , at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 130 Losey Blvd. So., La Crosse. Rev. Peter Raj will officiate. A reception will follow at the church and private family committal services will take place at the Garden of Peace Mausoleum in Mormon Coulee Memorial Park. Family and friends may call from 9:00 am until the time of Mass on Thursday at the church.

Memorials may be directed to Blessed Sacrament Parish or Aquinas High School.