John Staver

Cuba City, Wisconsin

Martin “John” Staver, 81, of Cuba City, Wisconsin, passed away Friday, May 31, 2024, at home surrounded by his family after a hard-fought battle with esophageal cancer. Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 5 from 3-7:00 p.m. at Casey-McNett Funeral Home in Cuba City, where there will be a parish scripture wake service at 2:45 p.m., and Thursday, June 6 from 9-10:45 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church, Cuba City, with a Mass of Christian Burial following at 11:00 a.m. Father David Flanagan will be officiating. Interment will follow at St. Rose Cemetery.

John was born on September 22, 1942, in Hazel Green, Wisconsin, to Martin and Celeste (Haase) Staver, joining his brother, Michael, and his sister, Margaret. John attended grade school and high school in Hazel Green, where he excelled in basketball, baseball, and football. After graduating high school in 1960, he worked at Hillary Texaco in Hazel Green. In 1963, he married the love of his life, Elaine Schollmeyer; they celebrated 60 years of marriage last year and were blessed with three children – Paula, Tim, and Staci.

John earned a bachelor’s degree in education from UW-Platteville in 1968 and a master’s in education in 1972. He taught junior high math and science at the Cuba City round school for over 30 years and Shullsburg schools for two years before retiring in 2001.

In 1996, Mr. Staver received the prestigious Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship and was a Wisconsin Teacher of the Year candidate. In 1989 and 2000, he received the Outstanding Personal Economics Program (PEP) award from the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Staver coached freshman football and junior high basketball for nine years and was the head high school baseball coach in 1972. He painted houses, sold real estate, and was a WIAA official for basketball and football for over 53 years.

John was a Cuba City Cuban who sincerely loved his community; he served on the Park and Rec Committee, City Council, and the Light and Water Committee since 1972. He was a member of the City of Presidents Committee, a member on the board of directors of the Cole Acres Country Club, and a member of the St. Rose Parish, where he was elected to the parish council and served as president on three different occasions. In 2023, he won the WPPI Energy Community Service Award and was an inaugural City of Presidents Hall of Fame inductee.

John loved Notre Dame Football, the Los Angeles Dodgers, golfing, watching his grandkids play sports, and having drinks with friends and his family. The overwhelming consensus is that John was the salt of the earth, with a great sense of humor and a big heart.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine; his three children, Paula (Tony) Schwabe of Sun Prairie; Tim (Kristin Osterday) Staver of Mineral Point; and Staci (Steve) Graber of Cuba City; his four grandchildren, Sy Staver, Sydney Staver, Teagan Graber, and Dawson Graber; his two step-grandchildren, Lindsay Schwabe and Andy (Madison) Schwabe; his great-granddaughter, Aila Schwabe; his sister, Margaret (Bill) Theisen; and his in-laws, Jeanette (Ernie) Nodorft, Ruth (Larry) Driscoll, Sharon (Bob) Kopp and Jerry (Marlene) Schollmeyer.

John was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and in-laws Erv and Marge Schollmeyer.

Online condolences for the family may be left at www.caseymcnett.com.