Of St. Francis, 81, passed away peacefully due to complications from pulmonary fibrosis at home on April 6th, 2020 surrounded by his family. He was born in 1938 to Salvador and Mercedes in Milwaukee, WI. John graduated from Bay View High School in 1958 where he excelled at both baseball and football. He married his loving wife of 59 years Carol in 1960. He will be forever remembered by his wife Carol (nee McCarron), and their children John (Lisa), Julie, David (Kori), and Phil (Mary). He will also be fondly remembered by his siblings Roy, Artie and Mercedes, his grandchildren Chrystal (Eric), Steven, Lainey, Erin, Kylie, Kaden, Tyler, Tanner, Jacob, Olivia, Addison, and Ariana and his great grandchildren Lincoln and Kennedy. John worked for American Motors Corporation (later Daimler-Chrysler) for 42 years. He was a devout Wisconsin Badger and Green Bay Packer fan. He enjoyed spending time with his friends and family, traveling with his wife Carol and laughing. He had a great sense of humor and outlook on life that was both witty and unique. Due to pandemic restrictions, Private Family services will be held. A Streaming of John's Memorial Mass will be on Friday, April 17, 2020 at 11:00 AM, Click here to view the stream of John's Mass. A public memorial celebration will take place at a later date. Prasser-Kleczka Funeral Home Bay View Chapel 414-483-2322 Phil Chavez's remembrances of his father: My name is Phil and we are gathered here today to say goodbye to my father, John (Pa or Pops most days for us). I am the youngest of 4 kids in order from oldest to youngest: John, Julie, Dave then me. My incredible Mom, Carol or Casey as my dad liked to call her, was his loving wife for 59 years. We first would like to thank everyone here today and online during these very strange times to remember and celebrate Pa's life. Pa would have marveled at the technology of a virtual funeral calling it "Witchcraft! This is Voodoo!" But he said that about the robot vacuum cleaner as well! Today I have the honor, privilege and very difficult task of talking about a man that truly could never be summed up in any words I could possibly think of. I began the process of this eulogy by simply writing down memories, any memory, that would pop into my head about Pa. After almost 3 pages I had to stop because there simply is not enough time nor enough words to fully describe a man who touched our lives in so many ways and brought joy to so many friends and family. You were simply a better person having known Pa. If you didn't know him like we did, I hope you feel like you know him a little better by the end of this eulogy. Pa worked hard. My earliest memories of Pa were of the long and rough days he worked for us. He endured many layoffs at American Motors Corporation where he worked for 42 years, but always found odd jobs to make ends meet. It was rough at times but he had a great work ethic: we always had food on the table and wanted for little. I remember when I was younger he worked full-time 7 days a week any time American Motors offered it to him because he wanted to build as much over-time money as possible for us just in case he were to get laid off again. My sister Julie, or Jula as Pa referred to her, has that same strong work ethic and that definitely lives on in her. Pa would often point out this similarity between them and he was right. Pa was hilarious. Growing up I loved sitting at the kitchen table for dinner with the entire family, Ma and Pa at either end, and Pa could just crack us all up. He had such a quick and witty comment for almost any occasion. Pa used to tease my mom that he was "starting to grow feathers and cluck" because he felt she was making chicken for dinner too often. Mom and Dad used to rib each other about who would snore the loudest...my mom recorded him once and played it for him...and of course he accused her of playing her snores instead of his. Pops said mom stacked so many pillows under her head when she went to sleep that her feet would dangle. When I was young and it was cold outside his Mexican roots would come out and say, "It's chilly today but it will be hot tamale!" OK, not all of them were zingers! But back when I was 5 years old, that was comedy gold! I see that sense of humor in my brother Dave. Dave makes me laugh just as hard as Pa always did. Pa used to refer to Dave in jest as "That scoundrel! or "That savage!" because Dave would always mess with him...and Pa would just laugh and shake his head. I just loved that dynamic. Pa loved having a good time. Sometimes too good of a time back in the day. He loved to travel with Mom and go out to eat with friends and family. The countless family picnics and hosted parties we had at our house further attest to his fun spirit. I remember Pa would always wear a Santa hat when we would open our Christmas presents just to make the moment a bit more festive. People would just gravitate towards Pa because he ALWAYS had a great story and a unique way of telling it. These stories are the ones our family recounts and laughs about to this day and always will. For example, Dad used to tell us that he was such a great baseball player in high school that when he played Catcher, he could throw runners out trying to steal second "still squatting in the crouch from behind the ear." Now, Major League Baseball players in the same situation actually stand up and lose half of their gear from the force of putting everything into their throw to even make it to second base from home plate. Nope, "still squatting in the crouch from behind the ear." That was Pa though...he always swore it was true. It is clear as day that my brother John has this same amazing talent...no one can spin a yarn like my brother John...nor embellish it to make it better just like Pa did. I love those stories. We could laugh for hours talking about them and often do. Pa was a secret softie. One of his mantras he would proudly proclaim when it came to family pets was "No fin, feather or fur" in his house. Well, over the years we owned countless St. Francis Days Festival goldfish, birds, a cat and two dogs. So much for his mantra! More recently, when I would bring my dogs over, and they would run and jump all over him with excitement, he would always pet and talk to them.They just loved him. Pa would give me this befuddled look and say, "I don't even like dogs...why are they always so drawn to me?" Sure Pa. And they WERE drawn to him because dogs just know. One time back in my college days my friend Chris Kennedy and I were leaving from our house in St. Francis to go on Spring Break in Florida and, packed and ready to go, we were unable to rent a car because we weren't 25 years old. We were so bummed because Chris owned a car but it was a beater that would never have made it past the southern border of Illinois. Our first spring break! Ruined! Pa just looked at us and said, "take mine." Um, Pa, we are going to South Padre, Florida! "Go on, take it. I'll use Chris's beater to go to work. This will make it back and forth to Kenosha, right? Ok, careful now! Have a good time!" Chris and I were floored and so grateful. But that was Pa. He wanted us to have that experience. Pa never went on to college himself, few did back in those days. But instead of being bitter, he made it his mission for us to experience the things he never did. He always wanted his kids to have more than he did, more than he had. Mission accomplished. I believe Pa passed that compassion along in me. I am a huge softie and my wife can attest to it as I am not nearly as good as Pa was at hiding it. I loved that compassion in him that many people may not have known about and I take it with me proudly. Pa was stubborn and demanded respect. When he wanted something done his way, there was No. Other. Way. If you didn't want to eat his signature hot dog guiso (guiso is spanish for stew) or Mom's infamous ring bologna (really mom?) he would say, "Your mother and I are not here to take your order...this isn't a restaurant. Eat it!" And you would sit at the table until it was gone...or until a young John and Julie would secretly scrape it behind the radiator only to be found months later...no one could figure out why it smelled like hot dogs in the kitchen every time it would get chilly outside. Argue with Pa about a rational point you had? Ha! "If you don't like it, hit the bricks!" This was Pa's way of telling us to move out if we didn't like it...Ok, his house, his rules, but where was I going to go at the age of 7! Some of his favorite disciplinary sayings were: "You ain't no king!" Chris Blunt will love that one! "The very idea!" and when you had friends over and inevitably began to roughhouse, "Go over to their house and break their things!" Most of these phrases ended in hmph or an expletive I can't repeat in church but if you knew him at all, you know exactly what I am talking about! Pa loved sports. Football was his favorite and he would not miss a Packer or Badger game...some of my earliest childhood memories are of watching Packer games with the family on Sundays and yelling furiously at the top of our lungs at the TV. I'm talking before Favre and Rodgers...we were pretty bad back then! Ma and Pa had season tickets to the Badger football games since 1990. Pa loved the 5th Quarter after every home game where he and Mom would listen and watch the UW Marching Band perform. He was a true Badger...in fact he and mom have Dos Badgers, which is spanish for Two Badgers, on their license plate. Go Bucky! Pa could fix anything...well almost anything! He was the ultimate jerry-rigger and never read assembly directions in his life. No matter what the problem: a leaky pipe, car troubles, a broken door he would do his best to fix it himself and was successful much more often than not. He had his work area in the basement which, when you were a kid, was a magical, forbidden, dangerous room filled with tons of tools hanging from his back wall work bench and even from the ceiling...and he used them often, all the way up until he was hospitalized. He would sometimes work on these projects for days and Mom was the only person that could finally convince him, after many subtle hints, that a problem just may be a little too big for him and that he would have to call a professional. It just irked him to have to do it...but he would finally give in. "Looks like I have to pay the man" he would say begrudgingly. Many times his kids would call on Pops to help fix something in our homes or get an opinion on how to attack a problem...he would be there as soon as he could with his toolbox to help us out. Mom, I hope you know how to fix my water heater...it's leaking. Lastly, Pa loved his family. He would always tell me that Mom was a saint (which is complete truth). Ma and Pa loved the Hall and Oates song, "You Make My Dreams Come True." They would listen to it every morning because Pa said it got them "pumped" for the day. They made such a great couple and would play off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. They made it through a lot in life and lived it fully. He said many times while he was in the hospital for an excruciating 3 weeks when we were unable to see him due to pandemic restrictions, that he had a good life and was so proud of all of his children. He repeated those sentiments when we thankfully were able to get him back home. The words used to describe a man's life may oftentimes come up short and I have no doubt that my words have come up far short today. However, the stories we continue to tell about Pa's life collectively live on to tell the tale of a great man who loved his family, loved his friends, loved to laugh and passed on these traits to live on in his wife and children. We love you Pa...you will be missed.