John Henderson, 79, of Elkhorn, WI, died on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Holton Manor. Even though he didn’t reach his oft-stated goal of living to 120, his life was so active his wife Jean says it was like he fit 120 years of living into his 79 years on earth.

John was born June 21, 1946, in Elkhorn, the son of James LeRoy “Roy” and Joy Oleson Henderson. He was educated in the Elkhorn public school system, graduating from Elkhorn Area High School in 1964. He then graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1968 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

He was married in 1970 to Jean Lesmeister in Roselle, IL. They built their life together in Elkhorn, where they welcomed two children, Christopher in 1974 and Cary in 1976.

Growing up, John spent a lot of time at his father’s car dealership, Roy’s Sales & Service. After graduating from college, he began full-time employment at the Chrysler Plymouth Dodge dealership, where he eventually became the president.

In 1988, he sold that business and made a major career change, becoming a commercial real estate broker at NAI MLG Commercial. This was an ideal job for him, making the most of his communication and networking skills. He remained based in Southeastern Wisconsin, working with many local businesses, and eventually also started to do business nationally and even internationally. In 2010, he was named one of the NAI Global Elite, a group of the organization’s top performers and producers.

He retired from commercial real estate work in 2015, but continued to use his real estate skills to help local service organizations, like the Open Arms Free Clinic and New Beginnings APFV, which supports survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

John and Jean enjoyed a wonderfully loving and adventurous life together. They made trips to dozens of different countries, eventually visiting every continent except Antarctica. They often stayed with people they met through Rotary’s International Travel & Hosting Fellowship, and regularly hosted guests from around the world at their home. They loved entertaining, especially throwing unique theme parties.

When he was home, John enjoyed spending time at his family’s cottage on Lauderdale Lakes, especially taking people out on the pontoon boat in his role as "Captain John."

John was a charter member of Elkhorn Rotary Club, which started in July 1969. He remained active in Rotary his whole life, serving as club president twice and coordinating the club’s youth exchange program for decades. He worked with Wisconsin students as they prepared to go on international exchanges, and welcomed students from many countries as they arrived for a year in the U.S. John and Jean themselves hosted exchange students from the Netherlands, Turkey, Finland, Brazil, and France.

With John’s encouragement, his daughter Cary participated in a short-term Rotary exchange in the Netherlands, and a year-long Rotary exchange in Brazil while she was in high school.

In 1999, John and Jean expanded their family to include two “sons,” Nazim Agushi and Fadil Spahiu, who arrived as refugees from Kosovo. The Hendersons helped them establish a new life in Wisconsin, where they are both now thriving members of the community.

In 2021, John helped sponsor a family of seven refugees from Afghanistan, in partnership with the Sugar Creek Lutheran Church.

John loved Elkhorn and was committed to giving back to his local community. He was a member of the Elkhorn Economic Development Alliance and served on the Executive Committee of the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance. He helped start the Elkhorn Fund and served on its advisory board.

He loved to sing, and shared his voice as part of a church choir, a barbershop quartet, and several community choirs. He was an active supporter of progressive causes and ran as a Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 31st Assembly District in 2024.

He is survived by his wife, Jean, brother Don Henderson, sister Marilyn Hansen, son Christopher (Thea Hillman) Henderson Pepper, daughter Cary (Ian) Kelly, and four grandchildren, Cole Pepper, Abel Davis-Hillman, Simone Kelly, and Sam Kelly.

He was pre-deceased by his parents, and his sister, Joy Ann Wick.

A celebration of his life will be held Sat. March 7, 2026 at Haase Lockwood Funeral Home, 730 N Wisconsin St, Elkhorn, WI 53121. Visitation will be from 1-3 pm, followed by a memorial service at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials in John’s name may be directed to the Open Arms Free Clinic, The Elkhorn Fund, the Rotary Foundation, or the charity of your choice. We at Haase-Lockwood & Associates are proud to serve the Henderson family.

Elkhorn fund: https://cfsw.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1168

Rotary Foundation: https://my.rotary.org/en/donate