INFORMATION PROVIDED BY JOHN'S NIECE, MICHELE TURCHANY, CLASS OF 1988:
Deceased Classmate: John N Chirila
Graduation Year: 1966
Date Of Birth: April-28-1948
Date Deceased: December-18-2023
Age at Death: 75
Cause of Death: cancer
Classmate City: Portage
Classmate State: IN
Classmate Country: USA
Was a Veteran: Yes Marines
OBITUARY INFORMATION FROM EDMONDS & EVANS FUNERAL HOME (PORTAGE, IN) WEBSITE:
John N. Chirila "Papa", age 75, of Burns Harbor, Indiana, passed away on Monday, December 18th 2023 in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He was born on April 28th, 1948, in Gary, Indiana, to John and Stella (Kalchinski) Chirila. John married Gloria Cooper on August 23rd, 1969, at the United Pentecostal Church in Gary, Indiana.
In addition to his loving wife of 54 years, Gloria Chirila, John is also survived by his daughter, Brooke (Jason) Berry of Burns Harbor; granddaughter, Calli Berry of Burns Harbor; three sisters, Patricia Ewing of Portage, Indiana, Janice Turchany of Hobart, Indiana, Christine (Harry) Savage of LaPorte, Indiana; and brother, Bob (Wanda) Chirila of Labelle, Florida. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Jason Edward Chirila; sister, Barbara (Felix) Ortiz; and brother, Jeff Chirila.
John was a 1966 graduate of Hobart High School, and proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corps Reserves for 6 years. He was a member of Crossroads Family Church in Portage, Indiana for many years, and most recently attended Heartland Christian Center in Valparaiso, Indiana. John worked for Bethlehem Steel and retired in 2010 after 44 years of service. He was a very devoted husband, father, and grandfather; his family meant everything to him.
Most importantly, John had a very strong Christian faith; he loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all of his heart.
John was an avid baseball/softball player and played for various teams; he was renown for hitting several home runs each season. He coached many of his kids' (Brooke and Jason) sports teams growing-up including basketball, baseball, and soccer. John was also an avid Chicago Cubs, Bulls, and (most of all) a Bears fan. In fact, he was a Bears fan since his early childhood in the1950’s, and continued to faithfully watch their games right up until the very day of his passing.
As he got older, his favorite hobby transitioned to lawn-care which included fertilizing, weeding, picking up leaves, trimming trees, and most of all, riding his beloved orange Husqvarna lawn tractor. His family thought it gave him a sense of peace, because his son-in-law (who lives next door) did not have to cut grass or pick up leaves for 10 years!! At any time of day, you could hear him patrolling the yard with his leaf blower. Because of this, his family jokingly referred to him as “John Blower Hands.”
He also loved to keep his home well-stocked with anything and everything with frequent shopping trips. His absolute favorite store was Strack and Van-Til in Chesterton, Indiana. In fact, there are several areas in the house that look like shelves you might find in a grocery store. Preparation for anything and providing for people in need was a big deal to him.
John was also a very generous person. He loved giving to and helping the people around him. Having a big heart, he contributed to multiple charities including International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Tunnels to Towers.
Since his passing, one of the most common comments his family has received, is that John had a “larger than life” personality. He was a jokester and loved telling stories; especially about the steel mill, the military, and scary stories to his kids and nieces/nephews when they were kids as well.
John was dearly loved by his family and is already sorely missed and will always be. We were all so blessed and fortunate to have him in our lives and we are all better people because of him.
Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 6th, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. at Edmond and Evans Funeral Home, Portage Chapel, 6941 Central Avenue, Portage, Indiana. A time for gathering and reminiscing will be from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the above, mentioned charities in John's honor. Online condolences can be made to the family at www.ee-fh.com.
This information and picture were obtained from: https://www.ee-fh.com/obituaries/John-Chirila/#!/TributeWall.