John Earl Heine

John Earl Heine, 80, passed away peacefully at Evin of Oconomowoc, on March 10, 2026, with his family by his side.

John was born on January 21, 1946 in Janesville, Wisconsin. He was the son of Emroy and Viola Heine. He grew up in Janesville and attended St. Paul's Lutheran school. He graduated from Craig High School in 1964.

John went on to attend UW-Whitewater, earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. While working towards his degree, he worked nights at Woodman's Supermarket in the bakery. After earning his degree, John built a successful 54 year career as a life insurance agent for New York Life Insurance Company, earning many prestigious NYLIC sales awards over the years.

While in college, John married Donna Scharine. They were married for 59 years. Together, they built a wonderful life in Janesville, where they raised their two daughters Richelle and Nicole. In 2001, they moved to Pewaukee, WI to be closer to family and able to easily babysit their grandchildren. John loved spending time with his family and friends. He was an active member of the Janesville County Club. He enjoyed golfing, skiing, working in his yard, playing bridge, going to Badger and Packer football games, and traveling. In his later years, he especially enjoyed spending time with and watching his grandchildren in all their activities.

John was a very loving and dedicated husband and father, who will be deeply missed. John is survived by his wife Donna, Richelle (Scott) Naze of Oconomowoc, WI, and Nicole (Kraig) Bauman of Ripon, WI, his grandchildren Lauren and Michael Naze, Karsyn and Marshall Bauman and Caitlin (Nick) Niggemeier, one great grandson, and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother LaVern Heine and his sister Margaret Mortensen.

The family would like to thank all the caregivers at Evin of Oconomowoc, Vitas Hospice and Brighton Hospice teams who all took such good care of John.

A Memorial Gathering will be held at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin on Saturday, April 11, 2026 with a visitation from 1:00 PM – 2:45 PM. Memorial Service at 3:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.