John J. Lanigan Jr.

John "Jack" J. Lanigan Jr. passed away peacefully at his home in New Lenox, Illinois Saturday, May 15, age 70 after a lengthy illness. He went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and with his parents John and Patricia Lanigan. Over the past five years Jack fought hard battling cancer with strong determination to always stay positive, constantly upbeat for his family and friends. Jack was a loving, caring, friendly, generous, and selfless man. Jack was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to all. He was the first-born child to loving parents John and Patricia Lanigan November 1, 1950 in Chicago, Illinois. He married the love of his life, Laura on September 22, 1985. They were married 36 years. They treasured every moment together and lived life to the fullest. He always referred to her as his better half and his heart. She was his biggest supporter. Jack adored his father, cherishing every moment together. Throughout the years Sr. mentored Jack Jr. creating the family legacy, Mi – Jack Products. He was instrumental in building the foundation and the growth of the company for 53 years. His hard work, determination, and creativity was a big example of Mi-Jack's success. The family company's tag line, "Where Service is Golden" was fostered by Jack Jr. His leadership paved the way demonstrating to co-workers this high standard of excellence. Jack and his late father, Jack Sr., designed the first Mi-Jack building in 1972. Going forward Jack Jr. took the initiative to design and construct all future buildings at Hazel Crest and Homewood. After Jack Sr.'s death, Jack Jr. completed his father's book, "A Better Way: An Entrepreneur's Story." His fingerprints are a piece of Mi-Jack and his legacy etched into its foundation. He was mechanically inclined, which led to his affection for cars growing at a young age. He intuitively took cars and motor bikes apart and put them back together. Additionally, Jack enjoyed being one of the largest collectors of muscle cars in the Midwest. He bought a 1969 Dodge RT at age 19, which remains in the family to this day. He took meticulous care of his cars together with his sons and grandsons at his garage, where he cherished his time with them. Jack's affection for cars lead him into being an avid Indy Car fan. Together he shared this love with his brothers dating back to the late sixties. Jack and especially his brother, Mike, never missed an Indy 500 in the last forty years. His dream came true on August 23, 2020 when he and his family along with the Indy Car team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan won the Indianapolis 500. This brought Jack extreme joy as he was seen smiling on television. In his spare time, Jack enjoyed boating with his family and close friends on Extreme Machine in the Gulf of Florida. He always had a smile on his face taking his family and friends out for an afternoon water excursion. His love and generosity of family and friends was his best attribute. He lead by example, always making sure everyone was taken care of. His humble generosity is cherished by many. Jack will be greatly missed and his memory will be forever present in our hearts. Jack leaves behind his beloved wife, Laura (nee Cromwell), daughter, Kristine (nee Lanigan) (Scott) Zabinski, son John (Mindy) Lanigan III, and son James Lanigan. Jack is the proud grandfather of Zachary, Justin, Kyle, Kara, Kaitlyn, Payton, Madelyn, Eryn, and Erik. He is a loving brother of Michael (Mary Kay) Lanigan, William (Donna) Lanigan, and Daniel (Jill) Lanigan. He is the brother in law of Gregory (Kathy) Cromwell and Mark (Cromwell). He is the cherished uncle of many nieces and nephews. Jack is preceded in death by his parents, John Sr. and Patricia Lanigan. Visitation Thursday 3-9 p.m. for all to attend. Funeral Friday 10:45 a.m. from the Robert J. Sheehy & Sons Funeral Home, 9000 W. 151st Street, Orland Park to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Mass 11:30 a.m. for family and close friends to attend. To keep everyone safe and healthy, Interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery will be private for the family and close friends. To keep in Jack's philanthropic spirit, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Cancer Support Center.