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MMD > Archives > July 2016 > 2016.07.19 > 01Prev  Next


Passing of John Hovancak, Fair Organ Restorer
By Matthew Caulfield

John Hovancak Killed In Auto Collision

I was alerted just now by Rosanna Harris of the death of John Hovancak.
This Internet report was posted July 14, 2016, by KWWL, Grant County,
Wisconsin:

  "One person was killed after a head-on collision between a semi truck
and an SUV.  It happened on Highway 35/61, south of Substation Road in
Grant County, Wisconsin.
  "Authorities say 56-year-old Michael Miller, of Kewanee, Illinois,
was driving northbound in the semi when he collided with the SUV,
driven by 66-year-old John Hovancak Jr., of Dodgeville, Wisconsin.
  "Hovancak died at the scene, and his passenger, 66-year-old Karen
Cooley, also of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, was taken to the hospital with
minor injuries.  Miller also suffered minor injuries in the crash,
which remains under investigation."

Art Reblitz reports that John Hovancak was one of the finest fairground
organ restorers in the world and did much work for Jasper Sanfilippo.
He worked on many different organs such as Mortier, Decap, Hooghuys,
Voigt/Ruth, and Bruder.  One of his big accomplishments was the
reconstruction of a giant Welte Wotan brass-band orchestrion from just
a few parts.

Matthew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York


(Message sent Tue 19 Jul 2016, 16:26:44 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Fair, Hovancak, John, Organ, Passing, Restorer

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