John A. Maisch

April 16, 1970 - March 3, 2022

John A. Maisch was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on April 16, 1970, and died unexpectedly on March 3, 2022, in Edmond, Oklahoma.

John grew up in Nebraska and earned a business degree from Midland University in Fremont. He earned a law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1995. John went on to become an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma. In 2008, John became the main lawyer for the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission and also worked as a Prosecutor. He helped write laws to protect consumers, especially alcohol laws. John spoke as an expert for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. In 2012, he became a Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma.

In 2013, John produced and directed a documentary about Whiteclay, an unincorporated town of fewer than 12 people in northwest Nebraska. Whiteclay, located just 200 yards from the dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, had beer stores that sold approximately 4 million cans of beer per year. The documentary, "Sober Indian Dangerous Indian," was screened throughout the United States and abroad. Working alongside Oglala Lakota residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation and Native activists such as the late Frank LaMere, John's advocacy contributed to the closing of the beer stores in 2017. Up until his death, John contributed however he could to the vision of Whiteclay as a place of peace and healing.

John had a profound impact on countless lives and served as a mentor and inspiration to many. John is survived by his wife, Julia; son, Jacoby; family, students, and many friends.