John Carvin

John Carvin

July 28, 1949 - November 20, 2024

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Obituary

GLENDALE - John Willis Carvin, age 75, of Glendale, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at Aurora Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa, Wis. He was born on July 28, 1949, in Maywood, Calif., the son of Willis and Marie (Kelling) Carvin.


After growing up in southern California and graduating from California State University, John transplanted to Madison, Wis., where he filled his life with family, friends, a career, and a love for the outdoors. John was kind-hearted and always ready to help. He enjoyed sailing, aviation, astronomy, and time spent poolside with his wife, kids, and grandkids. He had a passion for geocaching, which took him to many places including every county in Wisconsin, all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and Israel.


John led a 45-year career at Affiliated Engineers Inc. He engineered electrical systems for buildings that included test cells for engine and vehicle test laboratories, chemistry laboratories, hospitals, and heating and cooling plants. He was a mentor to many engineers who enjoyed his technical knowledge as well as his warm and friendly nature.


John had courage, toughness, and grace throughout his battle with leukemia.


John will be missed by his wife, Andrea Legatt Carvin; his children and step-children, Nicholas (Erica) Carvin, Rebecca (Lisa Haase) Carvin, Charlie (Dina) Kivolowitz, Paula (Alex) Milyavsky and Evan (Megan) Kivolowitz; brother, James (Chi) Carvin; nephew, Jay (Claire) Carvin; and grandchildren, Cameron and Graham Carvin, Eleanor Haase, Talia and Issac Kivolowitz, and Lev and Ann Milyavsky. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willis and Marie.


A funeral service will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 24, 2024, with Rabbi Yona Matusof officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery, 1 Speedway Rd, Madison. Shiva to be held at the Carvin home in Glendale, Wis.


In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org/donate), Gilda’s Club Madison (https://www.gildasclubmadison.org/), and Chabad Madison (https://www.chabadmadison.com/).


Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.


Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420



Events

24
Funeral Service
Sun Nov 24, 2024 @ 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM CDT
Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care • 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, WI 53716
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Memories

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K
Katie
Other •
John and family, You will always be my family. I love you all and I’m so sorry we have to say goodbye to John’s physical presence. My family’s hearts go out to you and yours during this difficult time. Thank you John for teaching me so many things, and most of all, being like a second father to me and teaching me how lovable I was at such a tender age of being a teenager and young adult. You are an amazing human being and we are all so lucky to know you. Love, Katie Clements (LaCourse)
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Alberto Cordero
Other •
John is the reason I moved my family from Puerto Rico to Madison, WI to work at Affiliated Engineers in 2000, where I still work. He was much more than an awesome mentor, he was a dear trusted friend who ALWAYS had the time and real desire to listen and make any situation better. Thank you John for giving me the confidence to succeed as an engineer, and more importantly, for your friendship in making us all better persons. Alberto Cordero (Kathleen and Ceili)
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Bryant Denning
Other •
To all, I was one of the many engineers that got to work alongside John at Affiliated Engineers Inc. He was a great colleague and wonderful mentor. I was lucky to have gotten to learn from John and will always remember his kindness, willingness to teach, and enthusiasm for passing on his knowledge to the next generation of engineers. I will miss him. Sincerely, Bryant Denning
JN
john nelson
Other •
John holds a sacred place in my heart. His generous outgoing nature, and his engineering talent, made every day spent with him better. He is a remarkable soul, and I am very fortunate that our paths crossed for as long as they did.
DF
Daryl Fonslow
Other •
I met John 20 years ago after joining Affiliated Engineers’ Inc. as a recent graduate. I know I was just one of many young engineers that John mentored and coached throughout his career, but his impact on me was meaningful and something I remember to this day. The mention of geocaching in his obituary made me smile. I remember going out with John and others on the team over lunch one random workday to go find my first geocache. It was the size of a pen cap hidden near a lake. Thanks for that memory John. I will miss you. Daryl Fonslow
SC
Stephen Cooke
Other •
John's loss is felt here in the UK too. I worked closely with him on a number of projects at Affiliated Engineers; he came over to support us many times and give us the benefit of his vast experience on hugely technical electrical systems. However, it was the conversations between work commitments that showed the true John. We shared geocaching stories, family pride, and many other common interests. I'm glad we met, rest in peace John.

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