Dr. John H "Jack" Barden

Dr. John H. “Jack” Barden, 78, of Westchester, Illinois formerly of Belleville Michigan and Port Huron, died Monday, March 30, 2020.

He was born November 7, 1941 in Port Huron to the late Harold and Elaine Barden and was raised by his grandparents, John and Bessie Lewandowski.

Jack, also known to some as “Yogi” graduated from Port Huron High School where he excelled in three sports, football, tennis and wrestling. He then went on to the University of Michigan where he was both a Big Ten wrestling champion and NCAA wrestling champion. In 1963, Jack won a gold medal in wrestling at the Pan American games in Sao Paulo, Brazil and later was an Olympic Trial member. Jack was an honorary fully privileged Assistant Wrestling Coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1978. He was inducted into the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

After graduating from Michigan, he attended Medical School in Chicago and then practiced medicine in Belleville, Michigan.

He is survived by three children, Clifford Nicholas “Nick” Barden, Meg (Sean) Corr and Megan (Leo) Lestino; four grandchildren, Daniel, Matthew, Miranda and Dylan; his brother, William (Jane) Barden; two sisters, Janet and Edith Barden; several nieces and nephews, including Erik and Ethan Barden; and long-time friends, Rob Dreger and Bart Lysy. He was preceded in death by his son, Albert David “Dave” Barden and two sisters, Nora Jarvis and Ann Marie Wilson.

Private services will be held.

Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery, Port Huron Township.

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