John L. Kowalski

John Leonard Kowalski entered the presence of Jesus on Saturday, December 27th, 2025, at Franciscan Village in Lemont, Illinois. He was 87. Born on November 5, 1938, in Chicago, IL, John was always ready with a joke and was known for his wide-ranging talents and interests. He had a keen interest in Military history and artifacts, particularly WW II. A skilled craftsman, he could design, build, or fix almost anything. When he found a well-crafted object, be it a piece of clothing, a watch, or even a car engine, he would take it apart to see how it was made. He would reverse-engineer his favorites and create new pieces. He practiced leatherworking, painted incredibly detailed lead soldiers, and made his own silver jewelry. He built the addition to his home, crafted and sold military replicas of sword handles and intricate sword knots (portepees), for which he developed his own materials, winding delicate silver threads around cotton cores-detailed and time-consuming work. John also crafted museum-worthy dollhouse miniatures and built his grand-daughters a one-of-a-kind dollhouse. An avid gardener with a broad knowledge of plants and an appreciation for vintage tomato varieties, John fought and won his war against squirrels and other garden pests by constructing imaginative defenses. During his days at Fermilab, John participated in the planning of Fermi's famous barn parties and gave weekend tours of the facilities. He also kept his horse, Mr. Apache, stabling him in the Fermi horse barn, and could often be found riding Patch during his lunch hours or after work with his granddaughter.

Born to Chester and Josephine Kowalski, John was raised on Chicago's Northside Polish Triangle by his mother and grandmother. He grew up near Hamlin Avenue and George Street where he was active in Saint Hyacinth parish. He attended Holy Trinity High School, then worked as model-maker and mechanical design draftsman at Argonne and Fermi Labs.

In October of 1958, John met the love of his life, Nancy (Rist) Kowalski, when the two of them were paired in the wedding party of mutual friends. They were married on June 25, 1960, and were together for more than 63 years until Nancy's passing in October 2023. John is survived by his son, Brian (Deborah) Kowalski of Tucson, AZ and daughter Laura (Kevin) Moore of Wheaton, IL, as well as six granddaughters, Krystal (Brenton) Schmich, Erica Kowalski, Adriana (Alec) Doherty, Mariel, Honor, and Blythe Moore, and one treasured great-grandson, Austin Schmich. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Nancy.

John was deeply grateful for the wonderful care he received at Mother Theresa Home and, along with his family, would like to thank all the 3rd floor staff, especially, the Advocate Hospice Team for giving him his "best life" during his final days. What a gift you all were!

There will be a one-hour visitation on Tuesday, December 30th at 10:00 am, followed by a brief prayer service at Modell Funeral home, Darien with a private interment to follow at Holy Family Cemetery in Downers Grove, IL.