John A. Hanko
September 11, 1926 — December 8, 2011
John A. Hanko, Sr., age 85, at rest Thursday, December 8, 2011.
Survived by his son John Jr. A�??JackA�?i�� (Tracey) Hanko; three grandchildren Allory, Christopher, and Conor; and numerous nephews and a niece.
Proceeded in death by his parents Paul and Sabina (nee Janovsky); his beloved wife Lois (nee OA�??Connor) of 32 years; three brothers Paul Jr., Michael, George, and two sisters Mary Moody and Clara Riffel.
John was born in Rockdale, Illinois and was a life-long resident. He attended Rockdale Grade School and Joliet Township High School. He built his own home, which he lived in for 49 years. He loved to work with his hands and always seemed to be working on a project. He was proud to call Rockdale his home and he had a very large quantity of friends and acquaintances who he always enjoyed visiting. He was a very active parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Rockdale, and served many roles including handy man, usher, and A�??Chief Steak CookerA�?i�� at church events. John was a loyal Caterpillar employee and retired after 36 years. He served his country in WWII, as a member of the ArmyA�??s Artillery Division in the Philippines.
John always valued family. He was the photographer and movie taker, for family events. He enjoyed socializing and always seemed to be visiting someone. He hosted his infamous A�??Uncle JohnA�??s Easter Egg HuntA�?i�� every year on his backyard hill and invited all his family. He was a great storyteller, all the way up to his passing. He enjoyed being a Father and took the role very seriously. He had a bold personality, always A�??pulling someoneA�??s legA�?i��. You always knew when John was in the room. He truly cared and was not afraid to speak his mind. He will be greatly missed by many.
Visitation Tuesday, December 13th, from 2 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral Prayers Wednesday, December 14th, at 10:30 a.m. at TezakA�??s Home to Celebrate Life, then to St. Joseph Church in Rockdale for Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. Entombment to follow at Woodlawn Mausoleum.