Service Details
His funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 2:00 in the afternoon in the Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home, 4600 County Line Road, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin 53403. There will be a visitation for family and friends from 12:00 Noon until the time of the services.
Memorial Suggestions
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity.
John M. Molitor, 85, passed away at Ascension All Saints, Racine, on Monday, May 9, 2022. One of eight children, he was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 15, 1936, the sixth child of Edward and Margaret (Dettman) Molitor. He was a graduate of Milwaukee (Boys) Tech High School, North Central College, Naperville, Illinois (B.S. in Education) and Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois (Master of Education). He married Luann Mielke on August 31, 1958. He was a retired businessman, teacher, and swimming and diving coach. From 1961 until 1966, he taught at North Central College in Naperville and served as swimming coach. There he led the team to several conference championships and two NAIA National Championships. From 1966 until 1969, he taught and coached at UW-Stout. In 1969, he moved to Racine, Wisconsin, to teach and coach at William Horlick High School. He started his own business in 1982, retiring in 1998. During retirement, he remained active in swimming by officiating and coaching. He was affectionately referred to as “Coach” by thousands of swimmers, divers, and other coaches. He was inducted into the North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 for both coaching and swimming.
He was a member of Faithbridge United Methodist Congregation (formerly EUM).
He is survived by his wife of sixty-three years, Luann Molitor; his four children, Diana (Jeff Peterson) Molitor of Colgate, Wisconsin, Troy (DeAnn) Molitor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Ara (Jody) Molitor, of Racine, Wisconsin, and Leda (Jay) Draeger of Aikin, South Carolina; eight grandchildren, Ara Draeger, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, Han Molitor of Memphis, Tennessee, Sara Clark (Ryan), of Monroe, North Carolina, Aja Molitor of Franklin, Wisconsin, Ian Molitor of Palm Desert, California, Annika Draeger of Aiken, South Carolina, Hannah Molitor of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and Amy Draeger of Aiken, South Carolina; one great-grandchild, Eli Clark of Monroe, North Carolina. He is also survived by two sisters, Anne Lindquist of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and Dorothy “Dot” (Norm) Wolf of Marion, Indiana, and one brother, William “Bill” (Alicia) Molitor of San Juan Capistrano, California; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Margaret Molitor; his brothers, Charles “Chuck” and Robert “Bob” Molitor; and his sisters, Mary Giesen and Lois Groth.
Michael A Bley says
Coach, thank you for all the life lessons I learned under your tutelage. You were a great mentor to me and my brothers Jim, and Tom. You knew when to use your booming voice, and a soft hand. RIP
David says
He was a staple of High School Swim meets and therefore a part of my childhood. He was always pleasant and gentle human and I feel fortunate to have known him for the time I did.
Rhett Molitor says
To all of the John Molitor family. My heart aches for all of you. This great man will be truly missed by me and all of the rest of the Bob Molitor family. I am so thankful to have seen him at the reunion in Lake Havasu. If there was a way to express his love for you it was through his handshake and I will never forget his laugh. It was just infectious. May his lifetime of great memories carry you all through this tough time and days to come. We all loved him dearly and will miss him as well. My prayers to you all.
All my Love
Rhett
Frank Maritato (An old swimming student) says
Hope there is a swimming pool in heaven. I am sure you can teach the angels how to swim.
GLENN KINDERMAN says
An awesome coach. William Horlick 1970-1972.
Rest In Peace.
Steve Cariello says
A good man and a good coach. I will always remember the times in the pool. He knew how to handle kids and he had their/ our respect. RIP.
Tari Eggebrecht says
Dear Luann, Diana, Troy, Ara, and Leda my heart and prayers go out to you all. We were all blessed to have him in our lives. I have so many happy memories of him. He was a great husband, dad, uncle, brother, friend and coach. He will be sorely missed.
Wendy Nichols Sodnik says
Mr. Molitor was one of my favorite teachers and coaches. I swam at Horlick between ’73 and ’75 and took his Lifesaving class. I will forever remember attempting the cross-chest carry on him…I passed! I hadn’t known he coached at UW-Stout, where I eventually attended college, and swam there too. A good friend and fellow Lifesaving classmate and I decided that if we ever got married, and if our dads weren’t available to walk us down the aisle, we thought Mr. Molitor could stand in! He certainly will be missed. I send my deepest condolences to his whole family.
Robert Ahlborg RN says
As one of many who called him coach I am grateful for his mentorship. When we wanted to goof off, he taught us perseverance. When teachers went on strike, he taught us courage and commitment. When we acted foolishly at a wealthy suburban school, he taught us integrity and accountability. He was a role model for future role models.
Mark Gregory says
My high school gym swimming coach. Coach could teach a cannon ball how to swim. I will never forget when he showed us how easy it is to swim and dove in the pool and with one or two stokes coach was at the other end of the pool. A great man who left his, “get on your mark and swim.”
Eric Johnson, Horlick Class of 1976 says
Actually, I always called him ‘Mr Molitor’, but Coach was the meaning.
Two NAIA National Championships! He never told us this, not back in the 1970s when I swam for him. He wasn’t one to brag, or to go on about the old days. But I’m not surprised in the least. He also was an accomplished swimmer himself, which I later learned, but also something he never mentioned.
Mr Molitor was a giant of a man. Ha ha, physically, but to me as a mentor and encourager – if that is a word. In High School, I swam almost entirely to win his approval. For the wrong coach, that could be peril; for him, that coach, it was just what I needed.
Because I swam with Mr Molitor before High School and in High School, I didn’t really know what non-Molitor swimming was about, until I swam in college. Thanks to his coaching, plus a bit of growth, I managed to make All-American. But, and no offense to other coaches, it was not the same. Not to mention the out-of-the-pool social support that Mr Molitor encouraged. He made a huge difference in my life. Mostly positive, I like to think.
May God bless his generous soul and comfort his family and many friends.
Sandra L Ramsey says
Coach Molitor, was always so pleasant and has a smile for you, never saw him in a bad mood. Rest in peace coach and may God be with your family.
Bill Guenther says
I met John, when he and his partner started a business together in 1982, I believe we were the first client. I looked forward to seeing John come to our location several times per week. His great attitude, smile, laugh, and desire to provide wonderful customer service will always be remembered.
My condolences to the entire Molitor family.
Lynette & Roger Huberty says
Our deepest sympathies to Luann and the Molitor family.
I will always remember and cherish the years I taught with John at Horlick H.S. He was a teacher and coach not only to his students but to his fellow teachers as well. I learned a lot about teaching swimming from John and he always made it fun. May he Rest In Peace!
Jackie Davis says
Diana, our heartfelt condolences to you and sending prayers for you and your family
Mollie Jones says
My deepest sympathy to the Molitor family. May God grant you strength in this difficult time.