Anthony “John” Novshek, age 85, of Decorah, Iowa, passed away on Monday, May 25, 2026, at Wellington Place in Decorah.

There will be no services at this time.

John was born September 25, 1940, to Anthony and Hildegard (Watry) Novshek. He grew up in Port Washington, Wisconsin, with his siblings Kathleen, Carol, William, and Sandra. John graduated in 1958 from Port Washington High School.

John was drafted into the Army in 1963 and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He was released from active duty in 1965, honorably discharged in 1969, after 2 weeks of training at Camp Roberts in California.

John remained in California, and on June 23, 1974, he married the love of his life, Brenda Brittain. They had three wonderful girls, Janeen, Katrina, and Colette.

John enjoyed carpentry and woodworking. He built many new homes as well as remodeled older homes while living in California. John moved his family to Eitzen, Minnesota in 1989. He enjoyed semi-retired life building new furniture, refurbishing old furniture, and owning a consignment shop called “Some Stuff” in Eitzen.

He was known as a “jack of all trades” and always had a bountiful amount of stories of past shenanigans and cross-country car trips to talk about. He enjoyed spending time with his family, working with his hands, and keeping an eye on the birds. He was always kind, had a great sense of humor, and would always offer a helping hand. He enjoyed reading mystery books and loved listening to music, which he had a large collection of.

John and Brenda moved to Decorah, Iowa in 2017 to be closer to their daughters. In 2024, he moved to Wellington Place, joining his wife there.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Brenda Novshek; his children, Janeen (Jeremy) Jostand, Katrina (Aaron) Stahl, and Colette (Melvin) Tieskotter; his six grandchildren, Jeremy Jr, Tristan, and Nolan, Devon, Cade, and Hope; and three great-grandchildren; his sister, Carol (Tom) Christensen; sister, Sandra Metzger; sister-in-law, Lynda Thoman; childhood/lifelong best friend, Tony (Nadine) Katchever.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Hildegard Novshek; father-in-law, Percy Brittain; mother-in-law, Marjorie Brittain; sister, Kathleen Korbish; brother-in-law, Edward Korbish; brother, William Novshek.