John Harvey Farrow Jr.

John Harvey Farrow, Jr. returned peacefully to the arms of the Lord on August 27, 2026. He was 91 years old.

Born to John H., Sr. and Louise (Lillpop) on January 23, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, John enjoyed an active youth in Chicago. He was an avid reader, an inquisitive student, and a devout Catholic his whole life.  After graduating from Loyola Academy, he entered Marquette University in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. John earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1956.

It was at Marquette that John met the love of his life, Margaret. They were married the December after they graduated. John and Margaret enjoyed 65 years of marriage before Margaret passed away in 2022.

After John graduated, he received his commission and served aboard the USS John W. Thomason, DD760, where he eventually served as Engineering Officer. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant before his honorable discharge.

After his service, John worked for several organizations as an engineer, eventually moving into quality assurance at Rural Transformer and Equipment Company in Waukesha, Wisconsin. During these years he also earned a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee where he also completed his coursework for a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

In 1981, he decided to pursue his passion to teach, returning to Marquette University’s School of Engineering as a professor, where he helped develop the school’s Industrial Engineering Program. In 1989, he moved to the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), where and soon after was appointed Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department. He retired from MSOE in 2008. That same year, MSOE conferred an honorary doctorate upon John in recognition of his accomplishments there and in the field of engineering in general.

In 1998, John took a brief detour from teaching when Gov. Thompson appointed him to a three-year term on the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. He greatly enjoyed his tenure there, being able to bring decades of experience in engineering to the regulatory role.

A true Renaissance Man with an understated brilliance, John was well-versed in a seemingly infinite range of subjects. He had a handy-man knack of being able to fix almost anything.

John and Margaret raised five boys together. Above all else, John was a father and husband first. Despite his professional career, he coached numerous teams for the boys. He always had time to help the boys with schoolwork, even through their college work, and was able to tutor a wide range of subjects from Latin to calculus. The family also enjoyed years of racing sail boats on Lake Michigan, and trips up north to the family cabin. In later years, they traveled all over the state to watch grandchildren play sports.

John is preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, parents, sisters Mary Louise and Margaret, brother-in-law Harry, and his son Paul. He is survived by his sons John (Linda), William (Constance), Peter, Mark (Amy), daughter-in-law Amy, ten grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Cecelia Place Assisted Living, his home for the last four years. John enjoyed living there and interacting with staff and residents. The staff provided wonderful care for him. They will miss his cheerful greetings to everyone, and his singing of sea chanties, religious songs, and random oldies in the halls.

Visitation will be held on September 9, 2026, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on September 10, 2026, at 11:30 AM at St. Charles Catholic Church, Hartland, Wisconsin. Visitation will be held before the Mass at 10:30 AM at St. Charles.

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