John D. Reeve

John "Jack" David Reeve, 79, of Waterloo, passed away on Monday, July 20, 2026, at his home.

Jack was born on May 29, 1947, in Missouri, the son of John and Sarah (Mullen) Reeve. Jack grew up in Huntington Station, New York, where he graduated from Walt Whitman High School in 1965. After high school, he left New York for Wisconsin, where he built the life and family he loved. He was married to Carmen (Humphrey) Reeve for 41 years, and together they raised four children.

He proudly spent the first half of his career at Wisconsin Industrial Machine Service in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he worked for 27 years. Beginning as a machine tool rebuilder, he advanced within the organization through hard work and dedication to become Vice President and General Manager, overseeing the company's sales, purchasing, and day-to-day operations.

He spent the second half of his career, until his retirement, returning to his true passion—repairing, rebuilding, and retrofitting heavy machinery—at Sussek Machine in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Throughout his career, he combined creativity with exceptional technical expertise, developing innovative engineering solutions and bringing them to life.

Aviation was his lifelong passion. A licensed private pilot since 1972, he proudly owned and flew many airplanes throughout his life, including experimental aircraft, and was always eager to share a flying story with anyone willing to listen. He also enjoyed machining working model steam engines on his basement lathe and milling machine, woodworking, and reading and watching anything related to science fiction.

In retirement, he loved spending his time working on a variety of mechanical projects and maintaining the airplane he shared with a friend in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Jack found great satisfaction in helping others and was always willing to lend his expertise to family and friends, whether it involved a home improvement project, automotive repair, or nearly any mechanical challenge.

Above all, Jack was a devoted father, grandfather, brother, and friend. He is survived by his children David (Brenda) Reeve, Daniel (Caroline) Reeve, Jennifer O’Handley, and Peter Reeve; and his grandchildren Cody, Jason, Kaylee, Zachary, Hallie, Haven, Katherine, and Austin Fortuna. He is also survived by his siblings, Robert (Lorraine) Reeve, Thomas (Linda) Reeve, Pat Sandmeier, and Kathleen Davis, as well as a number of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Margaret Reeve.

Jack will be deeply missed by his family and friends, who will forever cherish his stories, his knowledge, and the many memories they shared with him.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:30 PM on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Pederson-Nowatka Funeral Home of Watertown. Visitation will be held from 11:30 AM until the time of service at the funeral home.