Mike Loftus Obituary

Janesville, WI - Michael "Mike" Kenneth Loftus, age 79, passed gently from this life into the next at home with his beloved wife Kathleen "Kate" Loftus at his side on March 9, 2026. Mike was born on June 11, 1946, in Freeport, IL to Dorothy Marie (Sunne) Loftus and Milo Sanford Loftus. He was raised in Deerfield, WI, the eldest of four children, where he excelled in football and academics. He received his BA in Anthropology from Beloit College, and his Masters in Archaeology from UW-Platteville, where he later taught summer courses.

After college graduation he joined Evansville High School (EHS), Evansville, WI, as a social studies teacher. His favorite subjects to teach were Western History and Anthropology, and a self-designed class on Aldo Leopold called The Land Ethic. When he couldn't find a good textbook on Western History, he wrote one. He was proud to have Anthropology offered as one of the first long-distance courses in the state, broadcasting to schools via cameras in the classroom to students statewide.

Never one to take a back seat, Mike served as President of Jaycees, President of Sturbridge Springs Condominium Association, Deacon and choir member at the United Church of Christ in Evansville, and a 25-year member of the Crescent Bay Hunt Club. During his 34 years at EHS, he also coached tennis, football, served as athletic director, and acted as lead negotiator of the Evansville Teachers Union. Out of all his memberships and affiliations, his thirty-four-year membership in Alcoholics Anonymous was the one he held most dear - a testament to his honesty and the quiet courage it takes to live openly in recovery.

Many who knew Mike considered him a renaissance man. Mike wrote award-winning poetry, sold his paintings and etchings at art shows, collected both decoys and etchings, was an avid outdoorsman, lover of dogs, devoted gardener, and a hunter of fowl and deer. However, he would tell you that watching his children compete, grow, and build families of their own was his greatest joy.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kathleen "Kate" Loftus; his three children: Martin Healy Loftus (Anna Costello Loftus), Carrie Loftus Astin, and Alexander Nicholas Loftus (Jessica Vogel Loftus); his four grandchildren, whom he delighted in: Betty June Astin, Charley Elizabeth Astin, Cormac Michael Loftus, and Lucia Sheehan Loftus; and his siblings: Melanie Ann Loftus, Mark Steven Loftus and Melinda Louise Ashland.

The family wishes to thank Josh Bethel, Alicia Frye, Stacy Jay and SSM Hospice for their tender caregiving, making it possible for Mike to remain in the home until the end, and to the Men's Tuesday Morning Group for their support and faithfulness.

A visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2026 at SCHNEIDER FUNERAL HOME. A funeral service will follow on March 16, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH. SCHNEIDER FUNERAL DIRECTORS is assisting the family. For online condolences and guestbook, please visit: www.schneiderfuneraldirectors.com

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate help in establishing Mike's Memorial Garden. Gift cards may be purchased from K&W Greenery, 608-752-8917.