John Charles Bender

John Charles Bender, born March 3rd, 1952, in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after a courageous battle with cancer.

On October 5th, 1974, John married Laura (Van Handel), and together they shared a life filled with love and family, recently celebrating their 50th anniversary.

A patient, kind, and loving man, John was known for always putting others before himself. For 48 years, he worked at the family business, Tri-City Glass & Door, where he took great pride in connecting with customers and serving his community. Outside of work, John enjoyed spending time with Laura, his family, coaching the boys’ youth baseball teams, and hunting with his boys and grandchildren.

John is survived by his devoted wife, Laura; his son Dan (Stephanie); daughter-in-law Jessica; and his cherished grandchildren Lilly, Griffin, Ally, and Reese. He is also survived by his sisters Mary Bruch and Evelyn Wolosek, as well as his sisters-in-law Judy VanHandel and Barb (Joe) Wenninger.

John was preceded in death by his beloved son Bryan; parents Lawrence and Lorraine (Kurey) Bender; father and mother-in-law Robert and Marion VanHandel; his siblings Richard Bender, Eleanor (Wally) Willis, Shirley (Ray) Fank; and brothers-in-law Jim and Ron VanHandel.

A Funeral Mass for John will be held on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, N2385 Municipal Dr., Greenville. Visitation will begin at the church at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until the time of the Mass. John will be laid to rest in St. Joseph Cemetery in Appleton. For online condolences, please visit www.valleyfh.com.

The Bender family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to Dr. Samuel Heiks, Father Michael Warden, the staff at Brewster Village, Cherry Meadows Hospice, and ThedaCare Cancer Center. 

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