John William Fountain

1948 – July 5, 2023

John William Fountain, DVM, passed away unexpectedly on July 5, 2023, at his home in Iola, Wisconsin.

John was born in 1948 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Robert and Donna Fountain. The family soon moved back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where John and his younger brother, Dan, were raised. John was a graduate of Ishpeming High School class of 1966.

John enlisted in the Army, serving in the United States and Germany. This afforded him the opportunity to travel around Europe and northern Africa while on leave. Between his military service and college, John worked at the Pioneer / Ore Improvement Plant, the Empire mine, and underground at the Mather B mine.

Attending Michigan State University, he earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1980. His interest in bovine medicine led him to Wisconsin. He opened a practice treating large and small animals in central Wisconsin for 34 years, and some wildlife medicine as well. John was well liked and respected by his veterinary clients and trusted by his animal patients of all sizes and species.

John met Janet Avis Hewitt, in 1981, at a neighbor’s calving, and they were married in 1985 on their farmhouse lawn in Iola. They shared many interests and spent many enjoyable hours at their camp on Lake Superior.

John was an avid rockhound, deer hunter, trout fisherman, numismatist, photographer, gardener, and bird watcher. He also made a killer habanero sauce from his home-grown peppers. His easy-going nature and wry sense of humor will be missed by all who knew him.

John is survived by his wife, Jan, a brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Judy Fountain of Negaunee, Michigan, two brothers-in-law, David A. Hewitt (Sharon) of Madison and John J. Hewitt (Brenda) of Waupaca.

A celebration of John’s life will be held at a later date.