MOUNT HOREB - Dr. John Thomas Gribb passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at St. Mary’s Hospital on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, after a short illness. He was born to John and Adelaida “Adela” Grzyb in Milan, Mich., on April 25, 1936. John grew up in Detroit, Mich. His Boy Scout camping trips “up north” created countless fond memories and funny stories and instilled in him an abiding love of the outdoors.

After graduating from Chadsey High School in Detroit, John enrolled at Michigan State University, where he earned a B.S. degree and then continued his studies to graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1960. John was the first member of his family to attend and graduate from college, and he frequently expressed his gratitude for the education he received at MSU and was a lifelong supporter of his alma mater.

Michigan State University is also where John met his wife of 64 years, Marietta (Wheaton) Gribb. The story of their first encounter on a blind date is a family favorite. John and Marietta were married in the chapel on the MSU campus in 1959, and they lived happily together ever after.

After John graduated with his DVM, he and Marietta spent a year in Louisiana, where John practiced veterinary medicine with a college classmate. In 1961, the couple moved to Mount Horeb, Wis., where John practiced for many years, specializing in herd health. He was innovative and entrepreneurial, and used these skills to develop a successful small business to design and market a new kind of animal enclosure flooring.

After fully retiring, John became an avid and passionate trout fisherman, fly-tyer, and advocate for stream restoration. He was very active in Trout Unlimited, and especially enjoyed fishing the West Fork of the Kickapoo River with his fishing buddies. John loved to fish, and would be out on a stream at any opportunity. He relished the camaraderie he found around the campfire with his fishing buddies and sharing his passion and knowledge of fishing and fly tying with others. When he wasn’t fishing, John was tending the extensive wildflower meadows that he created in his backyard, which he started from seed many years ago. These meadows have now grown to be truly spectacular havens for flowers, butterflies, and birds at this time of year. The huge bags of seeds he collected every fall have spawned even more meadows for family and friends.

John is survived by his wife, Marietta; four children, Molly Gribb (Bill Holder), Amy Gribb, Tye Gribb (Jamie) and Gil Gribb (Catherine Orr); and four grandchildren, Adelle, Wheaton, Ulysses and Indigo. John was so proud of his talented and accomplished children, and he delighted in the energy, interests and potential of his grandchildren.

John Gribb will be remembered for his humor and generosity, and his devotion to what he considered “the best things in life:” his family, trout fishing, mushroom hunting, wildflowers, and ice cream.

A memorial service in John’s honor will be held at Gunderson Camacho Funeral and Cremation Care, 500 N. Eighth St., Mount Horeb, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2023. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 1 p.m. until the time of the service on Saturday.

Donations in John’s honor may be made to the West Fork Sports Club (https://westforksportsclub.org/) or Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited (https://wicouncil.tu.org/donate-to-witu). Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Camacho Mount Horeb

Funeral & Cremation Care
500 N. Eighth St.
(608) 437-5077

John T. Gribb

April 25, 1936 - July 18, 2023

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