John Francis "Jack" Deasy Jr.

JOHN "JACK" FRANCIS DEASY JR. HAMMOND, IN John "Jack" Francis Deasy Jr., 84, of Hammond, passed away on New Year's Eve, 2013 due to complications from a fall in July. He was born July 22, 1929 in East Chicago, the son of John F. and Grace (Johnson) Deasy Sr. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Julia (Malovance) Deasy; sister, Maryalice Deasy; son, Kevin (Jackie) Deasy; and daughter, Kathy (Al) Wirtes Jr.; the lights of his life were his three beautiful grandchildren: Lauren Deasy, Casey Wirtes, and John "Jack" Wirtes. He had many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was the oldest of four children and was preceded in death by his brothers: Roger and Michael. John graduated from Bishop Noll High School in 1948, and in 1951 he was called to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He wanted to be a machine-gunner, but the Army needed a medic, so he trained to save lives and earned the rank of sergeant. After returning from Korea, he met his lovely wife, Julia. They married in 1958 at St. Catherine of Siena Church and eventually settled in Hessville to raise their family. He worked as a mechanic at U.S. Reduction in East Chicago until retirement. John spent many happy hours at local shooting ranges with family and friends and was passionate about marksmanship. When he was younger, he enjoyed fishing for smelt on the shores of Lake Michigan every spring, with the occasional trip to St. Joseph, Michigan, to catch some perch. He was a lifelong movie buff, and loved going to the Kennedy Theater from the time it was called The Ace. He was thrilled when Netflix came along. Crossword puzzles were a favorite pastime, and he had quite a collection of foreign- word dictionaries to help him solve the tough ones. He loved a good joke, and once had a group of neighborhood kids spellbound waiting for the gigantic firecracker he'd just lit to go off; after a few minutes he cracked up and explained to us what a road flare was. Friends are invited to visit from 2:00 to 7:00 PM Friday, January 10, 2014 at the Solan Pruzin Funeral Home & Crematory, 14 Kennedy Ave. (corner of Main and Kennedy), Schererville. Services will be conducted by Father Lev Holowaty at 10:00 AM Saturday, January 11, 2014 at the funeral home. Graveside services at Holy Ghost Cemetery in Hammond will follow.