JOHN MACDONALD WISE
April 24, 1935—December 26, 2007
John MacDonald Wise passed away peacefully on December 26, 2007, at the age of 72, after a mercifully brief struggle with ALS. The youngest son of George and Ruby Wise, he was born on April 24, 1935, in Pasadena, California. He graduated from Pasadena College in 1957. As a Danforth Scholar, he attended the University of Chicago, receiving his M.A. in Sociology. John and his wife Donna served as volunteers in Bangladesh with the American Friends Service Committee. John joined the humanitarian aid organization CARE in 1963, serving in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, India, and Korea. He spent the final years of his career working for Krause Milling Company (in the Philippines and in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and then ADM (in Overland Park, Kansas) in food production and distribution. Upon retirement, he relocated to Woodland, California.
John was a man of compassion and humor. He was a talented artist and photographer, a scholar, an avid reader, a dedicated gardener, and--according to his many friends--the world’s best listener. He was endlessly interested in people, their ways of life, and their work. A highpoint of his career was accompanying Senator Edward Kennedy as a representative of the U.S. food industry on a fact-finding mission to famine-stricken Ethiopia and the Sudan in 1984.
He is survived by wife of 47 years, Donna; daughter Tracy of Appleton, Wisconsin; son and daughter-in-law Greg and Elise and their two children, Brennen and Catherine of Phoenix, Arizona; best friends Bob Salley and Warren Wells; older siblings Celia Teerink, Bill Wise, George Wise, and Harriet Meredith; and many nephews and nieces. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2:00 p.m. at Woodland United Methodist Church (212 Second Street, Woodland, CA, 530/662-6274). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to ALS research at: UCSF Foundation, c/o Eden Jacoby, Dept. of Neurology, 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2200, San Francisco, CA 94104.
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4 comments:
Just went on line in search of an old pal from my years overseas and google gave me a number of hits including this blog site. The write up of john was vey accurate and indeed he was the world's best listener. I rubbed shoulders with John and Donna in overseas posts in Korea when he was w2ith CARE and I was with CRS. In Ethiopia I was directing ops for CRS from 83 to 86 and John came in with Ted kennedy on a trip that we hosted and toured the country together.
My wife Anna and myself wouldbe grateful for an address t send our formal condolences to Donna and the family. If this can be provided of this message forwarded to them we would be grateful.
May John rest in eternal peace and be secure in God's embrace. many thanks, Frank and Anna Carlin
fxcarlin@comcast.net
1731 Cakebread Ct., Port Orange, FL 32128
Mr. Carlin,
Thank you for your kind comments about and memories of my father. We were just talking the other week about Dad running into you in Ethiopia on that trip. I have forwarded your comments and address to my Mom. She will be pleased to hear from you.
What a beautiful man -- I'm very sorry for this tremendous loss.
Sorry to hear of this, much love to you and your whole family
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