John Robert Buerger

John Buerger of New Albany, Indiana, died on September 26, 2021, at Clark Memorial Hospital at the age of 73. John was very recently diagnosed with cancer, and while his treatment had only just begun, he remained in good humor and full of hope until the very end. He passed away from complications of his disease while surrounded by his wife and daughters.

Born in Chicago on December 7, 1947, John was raised by his mother and stepfather, Marjorie and Leonard Carroll. As their family grew, and John became a big brother to six sisters, they moved to Romeoville, Illinois, where he became a celebrated high school athlete.

John’s lifelong pursuit of sports led him to Franklin College in Indiana on a football scholarship. There, he became a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and majored in history, with the ultimate goal of becoming a high school teacher and coach. After earning a Master of Art in Teaching, he launched what would become a 50-year career in education. His first stop: Providence High School, where from 1969–1975 he was the head baseball coach, assistant football coach, and taught government and economics. He and his young family then moved to Carmel, Indiana, where he continued to teach and coach baseball, before moving back to Southern Indiana in 1979 to accept a job at New Albany High School, where he remained for the next 40 years.

His list of achievements at NAHS include six sectional titles as varsity head baseball coach from 1980–1994, and two sectional titles as assistant football coach (1979–1989; 2002–2007). In 1995, he was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame for his storied coaching career. As a teacher, he taught economics and an honors course on the presidents, for which he developed the curriculum.

Along the way, he was a mentor to countless young people, both in the classroom and on the field.

He adored sports and his devotion to the Chicago Cubs was legendary among his family and friends. He also loved to show off his deep knowledge of U.S. history, especially presidential history. But his greatest love was family; he and wife Mary Jane were married for 49 years and raised three children. In addition to Mary Jane, John is mourned by daughters Mindy Dablow, Jaime Buerger Williams and Katy Buerger; sons-in-law John Dablow and Garrett Williams; sisters Nancy Bavilacqua, Lynne Moon, Janet Boudreau, Yvonne Carroll and Christine Garcia; and his beloved grandchildren Anna, Caroline and Jack Dablow.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Leslie Dvorak; and grandparents John and Teresa Buerger, with whom he was extremely close.

Please join us in celebrating John’s life. A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 30, 2021 from 3–8 p.m., and the next day from 9–10:30 a.m., at Kraft Funeral Service, 2776 Charlestown Road, New Albany. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Clarksville on Friday, October 1, 2021.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s honor to the Tunnel to Towers foundation for first responders, or St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kraftfs.com for the Buerger family.