John Joseph Splavec

John Joseph Splavec, 83, of Carlsbad, California, died in Carlsbad on July 27, 2024.

John was born in Milwaukee in 1944 to John F. Splavec and Santa M. Splavec, where he grew up playing with his many cousins and working in his dad’s clothing store. John’s midwestern roots ran deep. Although he spent the latter part of his life in California, he stayed very close to his Milwaukee-based family and was a Packers fan until the very end. John graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a business degree, which he promptly put to use working in the emerging field of technology. From selling room-sized computers to running one of the first computer-based training companies, John excelled at sales, marketing, and finance, but he took his greatest joy in leading people and helping them to achieve professional - and often personal - success. He finished his career as a partner at Accenture where he managed large scale technology transformation programs for Fortune 100 companies.

While John experienced great professional success, he absolutely aced his retirement years. John turned in his briefcase at age 58, and threw himself into adventuring with his lifelong sweetheart and wife of 55 years, Diane. John and Diane traveled in Europe, considering France and Italy among their favorite destinations. The Big Island of Hawaii was their favorite spot and became a second home to them in retirement. Making several trips a year, they loved spending time scuba diving, devouring mango ice cream and fresh poke, and hosting many vacations for their kids and grandkids. In John’s final years, he could not get enough of being a top notch grandpa. He was interested in everything they did - sports, plays, academics - and was known for his interview-style approach to learning every detail. John’s curiosity and big heart made him uniquely qualified for the job.

John is survived by his wife, Diane, daughter Leah (Alan), son Steve (Kelson), and adoring grandchildren Jack (19), Bode (18), Will (16), Hudson (16) and Claire (12).

Per John’s wishes, no formal memorial service will be held. Please share your memories via the Add A Memory link below; we will be sure they are shared with the family.