Skip to main content
John Uicker and Darryl Thelen at the April 2023 Pi Tau Sigma banquet
May 3, 2023

Obituary: Mechanical Engineering’s John J. Uicker, Jr.

Written By: Caitlin Scott

Departments:

Categories:

We are sorry to share the sad news that Professor Emeritus John J. Uicker, Jr., passed away on April 25, 2023 from lung cancer. He was with his family at the end.

Prof Emeritus John Uicker

An obituary has been shared that details Prof. Uicker’s life and career. Funeral arrangements in Michigan and plans for a memorial gathering here in Madison in July are included.

Prof. Uicker taught in the UW-Madison Department of Mechanical Engineering for forty years and was a long time supporter of the Pi Tau Sigma student honor society. He just attended the annual spring banquet on April 5, 2023 with his daughter Dottie Winger and granddaughter Rose. At the banquet, Prof. Dan Negrut spoke to recognize the impact Prof. Uicker made not only on ME students, but the entire field of his research. Uicker was known nationally and internationally as a pioneering researcher on matrix methods of linkage analysis and was the first to derive the general dynamic equations of motion for rigid-body articulated mechanical systems.

We are so glad John was able to come back to the Engineering campus recently and share his reflections about his career and experiences here at UW.

Dan Negrut honors John Uicker
Dan Negrut introduces and honors John Uicker
Uicker, Roessler and Negrut
Rose Winger, John Uicker, Jeff Roessler and Dan Negrut chat at the spring 2023 Pi Tau Sigma banquet
John Uicker 4-5-2023
Prof. Uicker speaks at the Pi Tau Sigma student banquet in early April 2023
Negrut Uicker and Roessler
Jeff Roessler snaps a picture of Dan Negrut with John Uicker

Featured image: John Uicker and Darryl Thelen at the April 4, 2023 Pi Tau Sigma banquet