John C. McCord

John Calhoun McCord, 88, of Appleton, WI passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on October 1, 2023.

He was born in St. Joseph Missouri, on May 3, 1935, to James Hamilton McCord, Jr. and Katherine (Sweeney) McCord. He attended Bishop LeBlonde Grade School and Christian Brothers High School. He served for six years in the Missouri Air National Guard, and was stationed at Rosecrans Field in St. Joseph.

While visiting friends in Wisconsin, John met his future wife Mary (Mitchell) in her hometown of Bayfield. They courted for a year with letters and telephone calls and were married on August 13, 1968, in Oshkosh, WI.  They moved to St. Joseph, and later to Columbia, MO, where John completed a BS in Business at the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 1971, graduating at the top of his class. Later that year, John and Mary moved to Green Bay, WI, where John worked in sales at LaForce Hardware then at Nicholson Builders Hardware.  John and Mary raised their three children in the Green Bay area.  In 1998, John and Mary moved to the shore of Lake Superior outside of L’Anse, Michigan, where they lived until 2020, enjoying the outdoors and many cups of coffee by the water. They then moved back to Wisconsin, living in Brillion until early 2023 when they relocated to Appleton.

John is preceded in death by his parents as well as his three siblings, Katherine “Kitty” McCord Mendenhall, James Hamilton McCord III, and David Steele McCord.

John loved his wife Mary, his children and grandchildren, his close friends and family, the beauty of the natural world, and coffee.  He was patient and kind, had a great sense of humor, and was rarely seen without a twinkle in his eye.  He is survived by his wife, Mary; children, Elizabeth Beaumier and husband Adam, of Denmark, WI, John S. McCord and wife Kelly, of Appleton, WI, and Sarah McCord and husband Petr Kuzmic, of Watertown, MA; grandchildren, Alex, Ethan, and Isaac Beaumier, and Elliot McCord; step-grandchildren, Anezka Kuzmicova and Michal Kuzmic; special nephew Mitch “Buzz” Motiff and his wife Mary; and special niece Ann Aurand. Family was very important to John. 

A memorial service will be held for John on Saturday, October 28, at 2:00 PM, at Wichmann Funeral Home, 537 N. Superior St, Appleton, WI. Visitation will be held prior from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.  Friends and family are encouraged to bring their stories and share memories. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff of Dimensions Living Appleton and Moments Hospice for their excellent care and compassion.