John Arthur Zielke

John Arthur Zielke was born in Newton, Kansas on December 9, 1961 to John Lee and June Josephine. He grew up in Hesston, Kansas with his older sisters Kathie and Karen, and younger brother Jim. He attended Hesston High School where he played basketball and football, and from where he graduated in 1980. After high school, he spent a summer in Red River, New Mexico working at a ski lodge. That fall, he moved back to Hesston and began working at AGCO, where his father worked and where he worked over three decades until his retirement in 2021. He met Heidi Stoll at none other than Daylight’s Donuts in Hesston, and they married on May 5, 1988. Their first daughter Erin Lynn was born in 1990, and their second daughter Allison June was born in 1997.

Throughout his life, John loved golfing, hunting and fishing, watching basketball and football, and grilling. He and Heidi loved taking their girls to Table Rock Lake every summer when they were little. He loved seeing his lake friends, boating, and teaching his girls to fish. His loved ones carry fond memories of that time. His friends Kyle and Kelso honored this tradition by taking him fishing later in his life. He talked about these times with excitement and joy. He also loved classic rock, and his favorite artists included Bruce Springsteen, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Joe Walsh, among many others. He enjoyed seeing Get the Led Out, a Led Zeppelin cover band, multiple years in a row with his friends and family. Towards the end of his life, when his mobility was limited, he was comforted by watching a lot of TV. Some of his favorite shows included MASH, Frasier, Nash Bridges, X Files, old westerns, and any show about aliens. He was also interested in nature and history, and loved watching shows and documentaries that featured these subjects, especially if they featured Steve Irwin. His family and friends knew and loved him as a kind, if sometimes stubborn, goofball, and his daughters remember a father who taught them that, above all else, treat people with kindness and respect.

John passed unexpectedly but peacefully in his home in Newton, Kansas on May 28, 2026.

He is preceded in death by: his parents, John and June; and his sister, Kathie (Mike) Keimig.

He is survived by and greatly missed by: his sister, Karen (Dave) Zumwalt; his brother, Jim (Patti) Zielke; the mother of his children, caregiver, and friend Heidi (Rob) Zielke; and their daughters, Erin (Mark) Zielke and Allison (Carsen) Zielke.

Visitation will be held from 2:00 PM ~ 3:00 PM on Saturday, June 6, 2026; Funeral Service will follow at 3:00 PM, both at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, Kansas 67209. Cremation will follow the services and inurnment at a later date.

In memoriam of John, please appreciate all of the amazing creatures around you, watch football or something about aliens, and go get your haircut at Lucky’s Barber Shop at 704 N Main St. in Newton, KS.