Jon Hatfield

Jon Walter Hatfield, 89, passed peacefully on June 3, 2026, surrounded by his family.

My cousin described Dad as "a great character," and that fits. He was unconventional, creative, generous, had a contagious smile, and great sense of fun. He could be absentminded and pokey, and was unlike any other dad I knew. Who else builds secret gardens in the backyard, digs a pond overnight, or decides on a whim to build a horse shed?

He taught me to love nature. He taught me about earthworms and rhubarb, how to make snapdragons snap and hollyhock dolls come to life. I remember drawing stars on the chalkboard in his classroom while he worked with students on the school paper. I remember sitting next to him in church, loving the smell of his cologne and hearing him sing enthusiastically beside me.

Dad believed deeply in the worth and dignity of every person. As an English teacher, he often connected with students others had written off. He saw the good in people and somehow helped them see it in themselves.

He was an artist in every sense of the word. Whether it was flowers, drawing, writing, acting, or building elaborate sets for children's theater, he brought creativity to everything he did. He directed children's plays, played Abraham Lincoln in Shullsburg's Fourth of July celebrations, and for many years played Scoop the Elf at church Christmas programs.

Dad was also a historian at heart. He restored the Gratiot House in Shullsburg and placed it on the historic registry. Growing up, we learned about the Indigenous people who first lived on that land and searched for arrowheads in the garden.

After graduating cum laude from the University of Tennessee, he attended graduate school at UW–Madison. He loved history and politics and was a staunch defender of human rights and the common good. One of my favorite stories was when he drove a friend home to Alabama because he was worried he might join the Freedom Riders and get hurt. Along the way he found himself having dinner at Reverend Ralph Abernathy's house and attending a whites only meeting to gather intel for the Civil Rights movement. Fast forward to the recent Women’s Marches where he walked alongside his daughters and granddaughters.

Dad was an avid collector with varying interests from coins to old postcards. He was generous and if he knew you loved something he wanted you to have a collection of whatever it was! Some of Dad's favorite stories were from his childhood in Michigan and the time he spent on his grandparents' farm, growing up with his sister Carol, and his many pets. He loved games and never seemed to lose at euchre, especially if Heather was his partner. He and I once played Scrabble late into the evening because we were determined to use every square on the board, and most recently he loved laughing through games of Telestrations with family.

He had a tremendous sweet tooth and dessert was good at any point of the meal—or even as the main course! He made delicious fudge to eat alongside popcorn and baked chocolate pies and apple pies with intricate flowers and leaves carved into the crust. After moving to Green Bay, he happily discovered Seroogy's chocolates and Uncle Mike's Kringles.

Even as Parkinson’s Dementia gradually took pieces of the Dad we knew, there was still joy to be found. He kept his same big smile and sense of fun. We went on grand adventures together, starting a landscaping business and running covert operations that only Dad could imagine. We learned to meet him where he was and cherish every moment. Even with the long goodbye, we find ourselves wishing for more time, more words, and more adventures, and struggling to imagine a world without his big smile and funny antics.

Dad was fiercely proud of his children and grandchildren and loved them beyond measure. He loved and cherished my Mom until the very end making sure she knew he “loved her most”. This can be seen in many of the pictures of them together where he is often looking at her instead of the camera.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Diane Hatfield; daughters Jessica (Chad) DeGrave and Heather (Isidro) Ortiz; son Joe Hatfield; grandsons Nick, Oscar, and Hunter; granddaughters Leonora, Paige, Ashlee, and Maya; a great-grandson expected later this summer; and sisters Pam, Debbie, and Carol. He is preceded in death by his mother Maxine (Estelle) Webster and father Rex Hatfield.

Our family would like to thank Dr. Napier for bringing Dad back to us and giving us five more years of precious time. Thank you to Vickie Anderson-Greely, who cared for Dad with humor, grace, and endless patience, becoming family from the very beginning and helping us keep him at home. Thank you to the staff at Caretta Senior Living - Bellevue for caring for his daily needs and for telling him "no" when necessary so that we could spend his final year joining him in his reality and sharing adventures together. Thank you to Aurora Hospice for making the end heartbreakingly beautiful, peaceful, and comfortable.

In his final moments, Dad was surrounded by the people he loved most, with stories, laughter, gratitude, and love filling the room.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 1, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Simply Cremation, 1530 West Mason Street, Green Bay, WI 54303. In true Jon Hatfield fashion, there will be a full dessert bar and light lunch.

Dad walked into heaven surrounded by spring flowers. We imagine he's already tending a garden, winning a game of euchre, talking history with anyone willing to listen, and heading straight for the dessert table.