Obituary of John J. Malin

John J. Malin Jr. On Monday, April 4, John passed away in his home in Glen Ellyn at the age of 93. John was married to his beloved wife, the late Joan (Gatto), for 50 years and is survived by his two daughters, Judith (Rick) Feller and Lisa (John) Nevins. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Haley (Spencer Schmidt) Feller, Keenan Feller, Cullen Feller, Mary Feller, Jack (Quinn Refer) Nevins, Sam Nevins, and Mary Nevins. John was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Mildred (Kobierski) and John Malin Sr. When John was young, his family moved to Chicago and lived in the Roseland neighborhood. John was a loving brother to his sister, the late Trudy (Ted) Dykton. She affectionately called him her “little buddy” throughout her life. John was a member of St. Salomea Parish and attended Gompers Elementary School. He was a 1947 graduate of St. Rita of Cascia High School and was a proud member of the boxing team and was a Golden Gloves champion in the lightweight category. A member of the United States Army, John was stationed at Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas during the Korean War. An avid lover of music, John played the accordion from an early age. He was a member of a 4-piece band that performed at various clubs on the south side of Chicago. It was in one of these clubs where John met the love of his life, Joan. As John was fond of saying about the first time they met, “we locked eyes and we both knew.” After they were married in 1955, John and Joan settled in West Pullman and were members of SS. Peter and Paul Parish. They raised their two daughters there until they moved to Riverdale in 1973. John remained in the family home until his move to Glen Ellyn in 2017. During the mid 1950’s through the early 1960’s, John worked at the University of Chicago in the physics department and in Research and Development at the Illinois Institute of Technology. John then worked for International Harvester in West Pullman as General Foreman of Machine Repair until the plant closed in 1983. He famously was the last to leave and shut out the lights. It was during these years that John honed his golf game, a hobby that he continued to enjoy for many years. In his spare time, John enjoyed making golf clubs for his family and friends. John also enjoyed fishing, a passion that he shared with his wife, children and grandchildren throughout his life. John faithfully donated blood every eight weeks for as long as possible. He was very proud of the gallons of blood he donated in his lifetime. He will be terribly missed by his family. We are so grateful to have had John in our lives for so many years and grateful for all of the many wonderful memories that will keep John in our hearts. Entombment of cremains will be held privately at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, monetary donations can be made in John’s name to: Versiti Blood Research Institute P.O. Box 26576 8733 W. Watertown Plank Road Wauwatosa, WI 53226 Blood donations in John’s name can be made at any Versiti donor center. www.versiti.org