John Thomas Mader

John T. Mader was welcomed into his eternal rest on January 6, 2025. He was a Christmas baby, born on December 23, 1940, and it was fitting for him to depart this world on the 12th day of Christmas, the Feast of the Epiphany. He died peacefully in his bed with his dogs Buddy and Lydia nearby, listening to his favorite Irish music. His parents were Frank J. and Helen (née West) Mader, of Cleveland, OH. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Johanna (née Humanek) for 62 years.
John was the loving father of Beth Holley of Vancouver, WA, Mary (Jerry DeBrosse) of Indianapolis, Annemarie Brown (Richard) of Grove City and John W. Mader of Burbank, CA. He was the proud "Poppa" of Ben (Erin) Brown of Grove City, OH, Caiti (Zach) Wagner of West Chester, OH, Nick Brown of West Chester, OH and Dr. Ren DeBrosse of Chicago, IL, and five cherished great-grandchildren: Everett, Elliott and Luke Brown, and Owen and Elizabeth (Izzy) Wagner. He is survived by his sister, Joy Martau, of Cleveland, and his brother-in-law, Tom (Pat) Humanek of Cape Coral, FL, and his Mader, Martau and Humanek nephews and niece. He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents and his brother, Bob Mader.
He was a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Class of '62. On October 22, 1960, he and Jo were married at the Basilica of Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. After graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, serving from 1962-1964 and 1967-1972. He was stationed in Germany (1962-1964), and later in Georgia at Ft Gordon (now Ft Eisenhower) and Ft Benning (now Ft Moore). He served in Vietnam from 1968-1969 as a Captain and company commander with the 14th Infantry, and was awarded two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars for his heroism. While stationed at Ft Benning, he was an instructor at the Infantry School. In 1972, he joined the Ohio National Guard in a full-time role at the armory in Portsmouth, OH, and earned the rank of Major. He became a human resources professional in civilian life, and earned a Masters of Labor and Human Resources at The Ohio State University in 1987.
John was a quiet gentleman with a strong sense of honor and responsibility. He had little patience for others who didn't feel the same.
One of his lifetime interests was history, particularly ancient Roman and Greek military campaigns. As children, we dreaded asking for help with history homework. The answer inevitably began with a long explanation going way back to ancient Greece. Context was very important to him. In later years, those long stories were cherished ways to stay on the phone with him just a little longer.
He also was an involved dad before being an involved dad was cool. He changed diapers and gave bottles, and as we grew, he spent time with each of us, fostering common interests, ranging from hunting, hiking, sporting (specifically Notre Dame football) and theater events. He was known to give a good George Carlin-style rant when the mood struck him. We will always remember the "Mader Make Garbage Program" dinner rant about leftovers in the refrigerator that never got eaten, just pushed to the back until they were unidentifiable, furry lumps. This was later followed by the "We Don't Live on Starship Enterprise" rant. Lights do not magically turn off when we leave a room and doors don't automatically close behind us. (He wasn't anticipating the invention of Alexa and Google - our lights DO turn off when we leave the room now!)
He was a lover of Irish Wolfhounds. Over his lifetime, he owned four: Moira, Malachi, Liam and Buddy. He and Liam marched in the Indianapolis St Patrick's Day Parade several times and performed at the Renaissance Faire in Indianapolis.
In retirement, he and Jo settled in Noblesville, IN, where they enjoyed their very big dogs, exploring battlefields with the Civil War Round Table of Louisville and Indianapolis, following Notre Dame football. He was very excited to watch the Fighting Irish play this year and to see the team work towards the National Championship.
The family thanks the teams from Zusman Hospice and Home Instead for the care they provided John in his final year. They enabled his family to honor his desire to stay in his home with his beloved dogs, Buddy and Lydia, and became his community of support.
In his memory, please enjoy a glass of Irish whiskey or Scotch while listening to the Clancy Brothers & Tom Makem or some good Irish Bagpipes. Remember the whiskey should be inexpensive and the music should be loud, just as he liked it.
Egan-Ryan Funeral Home Northwest Chapel at 4666 Kenny Rd., Columbus, OH is handling arrangements.
He will be interred next to Jo at Cedar Grove Cemetery at Notre Dame later this year.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of John Thomas Mader, please visit our floral store.