John A. Maisch Obituary
Former ABLE Commission General Counsel (2008-2013), John A. Maisch, age 51, passed away unexpectantly on March 3, 2022. John, who was survived by his wife, Julia, and son, Jacoby, was an Associate Professor at UCO and a prolific author and frequent conference presenter on the subject of responsible alcoholic beverage distribution and regulation.
EDMOND, Okla. - John A. Maisch was born in Duluth, Minn. on April 16, 1970 to Gorden and Gloria Maisch and passed away unexpectedly on March 3, 2022, in Edmond, Okla. Memorial Service will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 11 at St. Luke's United Methodist Church - 222 NW 15th St. - Oklahoma City, OK 73103.
Memorials to further John's work in Whiteclay, Nebraska may be directed to Julia Maisch C/O Matthews Funeral Home - 601 S. Kelly - Edmond, OK 73003.
John attended high school in Grand Island where, among other activities, he participated in Boys State. At Boys State, he was elected Governor in 1987. John earned a business degree from Midland University in Fremont, and a law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1995. Following a year in private practice, John became an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma. John returned to private practice in 2001, where he focused on commercial real estate transactions. In 2008, John became the General Counsel to the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission, where he also served as Prosecutor. In 2012, John became an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. John had many interests and was involved in a variety of civic groups and activities. He served as President of the Oklahoma City Downtown Lions Club in 2000, was a member of the Downtown Rotary Club, helped draft consumer protection legislation requiring providers to refund money to the hearing impaired, and drafted legislation reforming Oklahoma's alcoholic beverage laws. John also testified as an expert witness for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. In 2013, John produced and directed a documentary about Whiteclay, an unincorporated town of less than 12 people in northwest Nebraska. Located just 200 yards from the dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Whiteclay's beer stores sold approximately 4 million cans of beer per year. The documentary, "Sober Indian Dangerous Indian", was screened throughout the United States. John's advocacy contributed to the closing of the beer stores in 2017. Up until the time of his death, John worked tirelessly to make Whiteclay a place of peace and healing. John enjoyed cheering on the Huskers with his mom, beating her at Cribbage and Pitch, playing Rook with his in-laws, and listening to the Dave Matthews Band. John treasured the time spent with the love of his life, Julia, and his absolute-best buddy, Jacoby. They were inseparable. John impacted countless lives and served as a mentor and inspiration to many. Peace be to his memory. John is survived by his wife, Julia; son, Jacoby; sisters, Ann and Lori Maisch; aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces, nephews, his students, and many friends.
