John Onan

John T. Onan (84) began his life journey on March 10, 1932. John was a lifelong resident of Waukegan, IL. He passed away peacefully on February 24, 2017.
John is survived by his children, Cindy (Tom) Cramer and Bob (Amy) Onan. He was the beloved Papa of Madeline, Emily, and Miah Cramer, and Mackenzie, Callahan, and Lemmy Onan. He is the oldest brother of Tom (Harriet) Onan, Jerry Onan, and Jim (Linda) Onan. John was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eloise, and his parents Thomas H. and Ashen C. Onan.
Following graduation from Waukegan High School, John served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army during the Korean War Conflict. He held a lifetime membership in the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus. John was a devoted Catholic. He belonged to St. Anastasia Church in Waukegan, and most recently St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington. On November 14, 1959, John married the love of his life, Eloise. Over the years, he found great pride in raising his family in the 518 home where he enjoyed working on many projects to give it a unique personal touch. After the Army, John worked for Skokie Valley Asphalt which paved the foundation for most of the roads throughout Lake County, Illinois. In 1968, John joined his brother to work at Onan Construction. John had a very strong work ethic which included the expectation of the highest quality of craftsmanship, diligence, difficult labor, honesty, perfectionism, and excellent customer service. John’s perseverance made every job and project his priority from beginning to end, even if it meant doing it himself. This work ethic rewarded him with deep admiration & respect from many in the community, family, and friends. Over the years John became a “Jack-of- all-Trades” Handyman and constant resource for DIY projects. He found great personal satisfaction in giving instruction to others no matter how big or small the challenge. One of John’s passions was baseball. Throughout the season he studied the stats on all players and teams especially the Chicago White Sox. In 2016, he shared in the success of the Chicago Cubs with his granddaughter, Emily and family. Off season, John turned to the Green Bay Packers. It was a personal defeat whenever they lost a game. John was also a puzzle making master. He used great skill to accomplish a gallery of his creative endeavors. Every winter for the past 30 years, John was blessed to walk the beach of Marco Island, Florida. This beach was his sanctuary. He found deep joy in finding sand dollar shells, enjoyed sharing them with others, and taught seekers the best way to find these beautiful nature’s treasures along with the religious significance they held dear to his heart. Most importantly, John had a deep love and zest for family, cousins, and friends. John’s charismatic personality always left quite an impression on everyone. He was tough, firm but fair, dependable, had a sharp wit, and touched everyone with his humble, friendly, exuberant, caring spirit. He never missed the opportunity to give a hug, firm handshake, and helping hand to anyone that crossed his path. Once John joins Eloise in Heavenly Eternity, look for them off the shores of Sanddollar Island, definitely in the spirit of the dolphins frolicking by.
On March 2, 2017, the family will be receiving friends at St. Anne Catholic Community Church, 120 Ela St (corner of Franklin and Ela streets), Barrington, IL. Visitation is from 9:00 am- 11:00 a.m., followed by a mass at 11:00 am. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society, 7155 Oakridge Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229, or online at www.chromosome18.org
(Please specify: Memorial to John Onan/Emily Cramer for 18p-)

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