John Patrick Luedtke

John Patrick ("Jack") Luedtke, a kind and gentle man, died on November 21, 2025 in High Point, NC. His family was close to him as his last day drew to a close - his wife Sallie (Sara Wilson), his sons JP and Mark, and his daughter Sara.

Jack was born in Chicago, IL on October 6, 1934 to Eleanor (Mullane) and Franklin Luedtke. After attending St. Sabina Parish, his family moved to Flossmoor, IL. He attended Saint Ignatius High School in Chicago which started his love of the Jesuits and strengthened him in his Catholic faith. Jack graduated in 1952 and off he went to Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. Friends could never be sure if he attended Spring Hill because of the golf course, the proximity to New Orleans, or the simple fact that it was a fabulous Jesuit college. He graduated with a degree in philosophy with additional coursework in physics and mathematics. Jack enjoyed his four years to the fullest, joining the Phi Omega fraternity and then serving as its President. He made lifelong friends who would gather every five years throughout the rest of their lives. Their friend Pip Brennan hosted them in New Orleans. He participated in ROTC, then served in the Army as a Second Lieutenant and Company Executive Officer. He received an honorable discharge in 1965.

After college, Jack worked for a division of Borg Warner in Detroit, MI. In 1962 he was introduced to his soon-to-be wife at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church (or when Louis Armstrong performed at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe, MI, depending on who is telling the story). After captivating his soon-to-be bride, Jack proposed and Sallie accepted. They married on August 3, 1963 in Rochester, MN. In 1964, the couple moved to Hinsdale, IL, where they started a family that soon grew to include John Patrick (Kim), Mark Wilson, and Sara Brooke (Paul Moloney).

Jack dabbled in vending equipment and amusement games before working at Kar Rite International and then KDW Enterprises. He sold ski racks and car top luggage carriers, which his mother-in-law referred to as Big Mac boxes. He was always proud to still see them on the road in recent days.

While living in Hinsdale the family belonged to the Salt Creek Club and later the Hinsdale Golf Club. Jack relished the social aspects of the club more than the golf, and he served on the Board of Directors. The years in Hinsdale passed very quickly as they raised their three children through many fun times with friends and their families enjoying Little League, Fourth of July parades, scouting and other social activities. Jack enjoyed jarts, golf, tennis, and sailing, but mostly having a good time with his friends. Oddly, he could enjoy sailing even though he never learned to swim. As a trusted advisor to his in-laws, he took over management of the Turk Family Farms, diligently following the markets and working with farmers in Illinois and Minnesota.

Jack semi-retired in 2002 and moved to Greensboro, NC to be close to his brother and sister-in-law. He would earn his real estate brokerage license and have a short career selling homes in the surrounding area. He served as an usher at St Pius X where Sallie and Jack made many new friends, including the Wednesday morning breakfast group. A great joy of his early years in Greensboro was the time he spent tutoring at Sumner Elementary School. His later years in Greensboro were spent serving his community at Cardinal Downs as President of the association, experiencing an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., and saying hello daily to his squirrel visitors. Many a weekend was spent watching Notre Dame football. He was fortunate to have witnessed a Bears Super Bowl victory and to savor the Cubs (finally) winning the World Series.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Franklin and Eleanor, his second mother Kathleen ("Kayo"), his third mother Dorothy, his sister Lee (Soher), his brother Francis, and his infant daughter Megan Elizabeth. He will be remembered fondly by his loving family, including his grandchildren (Ryan, Jane, Dylan, and Hadley), his nieces and nephews, and a great number of friends, many of whom are now celebrating with him in heaven, maybe even raising a glass of gin and howling in laughter telling stories.

As Jack always said when friends died, "He was one of the good ones". We say goodbye to another one of the "good ones".

With gratitude and thanksgiving for all that walked on this journey with us, especially Maryann, Tom and Lyn, Susan, Carol Ann, Ric, Mimi, Chris, the prayer group at St. Pius X, Meta and Mike, and Brenda.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church on December 16 at 11:00am with a visitation at 10:30. A mass of remembrance will be celebrated in Chicago in the Spring.

Donations in honor of Jack may be made to: The Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus (1010 Hooker St., Chicago, IL 60642) AuthoraCare Collective (2504 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC 27405) Pennybyrn (109 Penny Rd, High Point, NC 27260).