John Howard Thein

John Howard Thein

September 6, 1942 – May 8, 2023

“Happy are the painters for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end, or almost to the end, of the day.” – Sir Winston Churchill

A relentless student of Art and its subjects; a professor and mentor to countless students, peers, and individuals; a father, husband, and friend . . . John Thein was an individual that lived a life devoted to the creation of art as a message, as an education, and as a shape in this world.

John walked on from this Earth and to the next on May 8, 2023. John was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Howard and Ethel Thein on September 6, 1942. After earning his BFA from the Layton School of Art with studies at Marquette University, he studied in Paris, France, at the renowned Atelier 17. John earned his MA and MFA from the University of Iowa. He then went on to have a distinguished career as a professor at Creighton University for 40 years, where he taught numerous students and helped nurture a connection between Native American culture and art.

Over the years, John’s work highlighted the story of Native Americans, especially the massacre of the Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee. His singular passion to chronicle this event lead to the creation of his work, “Wounded Knee: The Painted Spirit.” John’s epic Wounded Knee series will have a permanent home and be in the founding collection of the soon-to-open ArtBank in McCook, Nebraska. This monumental canvas project was a dedication of 22 years of John’s life and talent that found a home on the Plains, as it should be. His work can be found everywhere, from the Sheldon Art Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, to the Shannxia Art Museum in Xia, China, and the Instituto Guatemala America, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. John participated in countless shows through his career, worldwide, including one-man shows at CFM Gallery in New York, China, Mexico, and England, to cite a few.

John is preceded in death by parents Howard John and Ethel (Norem) Thein; infant daughter Tamara Thein. Survived by spouse, Jeanne Jaroch; son Dylan (Audrey) and granddaughters, Aurora and Jane; son Andrew; stepson Todd Jaroch (Julie) and granddaughter, Maia; stepdaughter Noelle Jaroch (John Bauer) and grandchildren, Alana and Callum; sister Laurie Lavender; nephew Michael Lavender; sister-in-law Judith Olson of Omaha; brother-in-law John Olson (Joanne) of Birmingham, AL; beloved fur baby, Toffee; numerous friends, students and artists around the world. Memorials may be made to Gallery 1516 in Omaha, Nebraska.