John Theodore Stranberg (Ted), 80, passed away peacefully at home on September 19, 2025, after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia.
Ted was born in Libertyville, Illinois, on February 24, 1945, to Don Frederick Stranberg, Sr., and Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Price. As a child, he loved fishing, writing, mischief, and hanging out with his friends.
In 1966, he married Regena Mae Woodman and joined the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot for one year. Upon returning to the States, he trained other pilots as a Chief Warrant Officer until his honorable discharge in 1970.
After completing his military career, Ted became a pilot for Anchor Coupling at Waukegan Airport. His family grew with the births of his two children, William Scott in March of 1970, and Valerie Ann in February of 1974.
After leaving Anchor Coupling, he completed a two-year assignment flying helicopters offshore for Bristol Helicopters in Trinidad and Tobago.
Upon returning to the U.S., Ted was hired by S.C. Johnson in 1976, flying helicopters and later moving into the fixed-wing department, flying Citations and Falcon Jets until retirement in 2005. Flying wasn’t just a career for him—it was a lifelong adventure. The cockpit gave him a front row seat to the world’s beauty, and his journeys filled him with stories, friendships, and a profound appreciation for the places and people he encountered.
Throughout life, Ted loved jazz music, attending Val’s dance recitals, and taking his family to Chicago Cubs games and the Oshkosh Air Show to see the Blue Angels each summer. His kids have fond memories of traveling across the country each summer, National Lampoon’s style. He also loved riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle and RV camping.
On June 16, 2018, Ted married Dawn Marie Kristopeit and gained two step-children, Aaron Kristopeit and Ashley Panka. Ted loved attending concerts, going out for dinner and drinks with his friends, and simply spending quality time with Dawn and their pets, Harley, Chloe, Lucky (Monkey), and Parker. Beyond his family, Ted had an enormous love of animals. He carried a traveler’s heart through every part of life, finding joy in discovery, the open road, and moments shared with those he loved.
He is preceded in death by his mother and father, and many friends and relatives. He is survived by his wife Dawn Stranberg, son Bill (Christy) Stranberg, daughter, Valerie (Brian) Turner, step-son Aaron Krisopeit, step-daughter Ashley Panka, two grandsons, Logan Fleming and Tyson Turner, brother Don Jr. (Maureen) Stranberg, sister Joyce (Bill) Koss, sister Priscilla (Jon) Krause, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 7, at 1:00 pm at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove, Wisconsin. A luncheon will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin (Racine County), 1624 Yout Street, Racine, WI 53404.
