John Wise Wickizer

John Wise Wickizer (born March 20, 1964) of Lawrenceburg KY passed on from this earth on March 24, 2025. He was the husband of Bonnie McAuley Wickizer and father of Katelyn Cox (Matthew) of Lawrenceburg and John Travis Wickizer (Megan) of Louisville. Grandfather of Owen Asher Cox and (soon to be) Hayden Oliver Cox. Brother of Charles Morgan Wickizer (Lisa) of Columbus OH and Vera F. Treadway of Lexington. Pet Dad to his big babies Sebastian & Freddie.
John was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Elfreeda Wickizer and a multitude of dogs who are happily greeting him on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.
John was born in Hiawatha KS and, being a preacher's kid, grew up in several locations around Indiana and Illinois but mostly in the little town of Palestine IL where he graduated from high school. Afterwards, he followed his brother to Transylvania University in Lexington where he majored in Math, Computer Science (Math emphasis), Computer Science (Business emphasis) as well as a minor in Business. That background served him well in a career based around computers & data management. From Mentor Systems, Inc. to Kentucky Finance and Automated Systems, Inc. before landing at the Kentucky Department of Education where he progressed thru the ranks to the title of Assistant Director II in the Division of Assessment & Accountability. All work and no play would have made John a boring boy & NO ONE could ever accuse him of being boring. He was well known for his pranks around the office but at the same time, he was well known for going above & beyond his job description in order to ensure that everything got done.
He met his wife, Bonnie, while they were both students at Transylvania University & married in the university chapel just weeks before graduation. They spent the next few years in Lexington before moving to Lawrenceburg and making their home there.
While in Lexington, he and a friend somehow inherited a Boy Scout troop and at the ripe old age of 22, he found himself to be an Assistant Scoutmaster and he was proud to assist at least one of his scouts in achieving his Eagle Scout award.
The next few years were busy with a new home & starting a family. He & Bonnie welcomed their daughter Katelyn Rebecca into the world first followed less than 2 years later by a son, John Travis. And that's when their lives really got busy!
Little did they know that when 4 year old Kate wanted to play some strange sport called "soccer," what a huge part of their lives it would become. After being drafted to coach their rec teams and to assist with their travel/competitive teams, it shouldn't have been a surprise when he took classes to gain both his Class C coaching license and a Grade 8 Referee certification as well as serving several years on the local recreational soccer board of directors. It didn't take long for him to become a familiar face on soccer fields all across Kentucky and in bordering states (along with Kate, Travis, and Matt who also became certified referees and spent many weekends working alongside him).
At the same time, he & the family often spent time at the Anderson County Sportsman's Club where they enjoyed shooting clays, practicing with their pistols, and getting ready for deer season. In later years, he served a number of years on the club's Board of Directors as well as helping out with their Kitchen Committee. The practice shooting there came in handy too as he harvested many a deer, keeping the family freezers full & providing interesting keepsakes for the living room walls!
In recent years, John and Bonnie had discovered the joys of fishing & the therapeutic aspects of floating around a quiet lake & "drowning worms." He also enjoyed hiking & 4-wheeling around the family farm when time allowed. He and Bonnie had many plans for further outdoor adventures as well as extensive travel before he was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer in 2023. After that, their travels were exclusively to and from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston TX. He & his family want to give thanks to the doctors who did their best in the face of little research into such a highly aggressive cancer to extend his time with us.
A time of remembrance service will be 11:00 AM Saturday, March 29, 2025 at Noon & Son Funeral Home. Visitation will be Friday, March 28, 2025 at the funeral home from 4:00 PM to 7:00PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM until time of service. Burial will follow in the Lawrenceburg Cemetery.
Noon & Son Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with final care.
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