John Wimmer

John Weimmer was an iconic figure in many fields. He was a scholar, professor, pastor, author and motivational public speaker – all at once!

He was a dedicated husband to his wife Janilee and an affectionate father to their son David. Additionally, he was an ardent friend and servant of God.

Early Life and Education

John Wimmer was a United Methodist elder with parish ministry experience. He graduated from Duke Divinity School and holds a Ph.D. in American religious history from the University of Chicago.

He also worked as a professor at the University of Indianapolis and founded the Center for Congregations, an Endowment-funded initiative that provides consulting services, educational programs and grants to nearly 4,000 Indiana congregations each year.

He is the Program Director in the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment Inc. in Indianapolis, where he oversees their pastoral leadership development initiatives such as “Economic Challenges Facing Future Ministers” and religious grants that have disbursed over $1 billion since 1997 to strengthen congregations and ministries worldwide.

Professional Career

Wimmer is the co-owner of Wimmer Brothers Realty, Inc., a full-service real estate development, brokerage, construction and property management firm with over 4,000 units and 76,000 square feet in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. He holds partnerships in several companies that own 3,250 multifamily housing units, 53,000 square feet of office/retail space as well as the 104-room Marriott Residence Inn Hotel.

He is also the President of Caring Communities, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wimmer Brothers that specializes in research and planning, development, construction, marketing, and operation of retirement housing and health care programs. His involvement extends from project entitlements through construction management planning budgeting and contracting – all with his family history in construction industry bringing great pride to designing, building and managing an array of properties.

Achievements and Honors

John Wimmer has earned international acclaim for his research in virology, especially his work on poliovirus. A professor at Stony Brook University since 1974, he also created synthetic biology as a new field.

His research is motivated by the dual nature of viruses as chemicals and pathogenic organisms. He is fascinated by their capacity for change and evolution, both within themselves and external environments.

His Reading study by Heinz Wimmer weaves together elements of cognitive psychology, dyslexia and visual word form area. The Cognition study encompasses Context, Orthography, Communication and Word Recognition.

His Dyslexia research is an integrated field encompassing biological theories of dyslexia, phonological deficit and learning to read. Additionally, the Visual word form area draws heavily from Linguistics and Cerebral cortex research.

Personal Life

John Wimmer had an infectiously kind and friendly disposition. He enjoyed telling stories to others and inspiring them to pursue their interests with confidence.

He had an affinity for the arts and history. He believed that by understanding the culture of one’s community, one can gain a better insight into their lives and values.

Thus, he frequently hosted events and invited many people to his home in Santa Fe. Guests would usually have dinner with him before spending time with his family afterwards.

He had an intensely close bond with his cousin Mary Sudbrink, whom he affectionately refers to as “granMary.” They spent a lot of time together and she became his go-to “nanny,” being both his favorite person in the world.

Net Worth

John Wimmer’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million. He has amassed his fortune through investments in numerous businesses and properties.

He owns a variety of properties, such as a private island in Montana and an expansive mansion in New York City. Additionally, his Beverly Hills residence dates back to the 1920s.

Additionally, he owns a substantial portfolio of stocks and regularly trades them on the stock market. His largest trade was exercising 86,000 units of Teradata Corp stock in December 2004 for an impressive $691,440.

He owns two homes: one built for Harold Lloyd in Beverly Hills and another one in Palm Springs. His primary residence is situated on a private lake in Montana and measures 24,000 square feet. Furthermore, he owns an 8,000 square foot penthouse apartment in Manhattan as well.