John Mudore

Mudore, John L. MADISON - John L. Mudore died quietly on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008, due to complications following heart surgery. John was born on May 16, 1952, to Doris and John Mudore. He was 55 years old. John is survived by his wife of 29 years, Connie (Faye) Mudore. He is also survived by his mother, Doris Mudore; brother, Greg; sister, Kathy (Mudore) Stucky; and two nieces, Belinda (Stucky) Kostenbader (husband, Kenneth) and Chris Stucky, all of Freeport, Ill. John leaves behind many very close friends, including Steve Faye, Scott and Jeannie Morse, Robyn Baron, James Ciha, Pat and Christopher Fyee, Joe and Colleen Getty, Phil and Diana Freye, James Van Deurzen and Rosanne Cheeseman; and numerous students whose lives were deeply affected by Johns passion and commitment to education. John taught at many schools, including Success Enhanced, Portland, Ore., Aquin Junior/Senior High School, Freeport, Ill., Edgewood High School, Madison, Sauk Prairie High School and Mount Horeb High School. John graduated from Freeport High School in 1970 and graduated Suma Cum Laude from Rockford College. He joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in 1976 and taught in the inner city at St. Andrews Elementary, Portland, Ore. Connie and John met in the Transit Bank in Portland and were married in 1978. Connie was the love of Johns life, his constant companion and his best friend. The other love of his life was teaching and training other teachers to be effective, successful, committed and excited about their vocation. John, who was a Christa McAuliffe Award Winner, believed completely in the transformative power of education. His enthusiasm and commitment were contagious. He authored three books on the effective teaching of mathematics. He was writing a fourth book aimed at helping mathematically challenged adults become literate in everyday problem solving. John held unwaveringly to the conviction that all students could learn and to that end traveled widely educating teachers and giving workshops throughout the Midwest. John will be remembered also for his generosity of spirit, his unflagging humor, his athleticism, his love of the outdoors, his resolute belief in the fight for social justice and his amazing skills as a billiards player. John will be deeply and sadly missed by the hundreds of students he taught and whose lives he touched over his long career and by the many, many friends he cultivated throughout his life. A memorial service will be held at ST. BARNABUS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 113 E. Division St., Mazomanie, on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be contributed to Johns favorite cause, Amnesty International USA-Urgent Action Network, www.amnestyusa.org.