John A. Sak Jr.

John Anthony Sak was born on June 14, 1931, in Chicago, IL to John and Anna Sak, where they raised their 4 children. A Chicago native his whole life - you tell him the address number, he could tell you where the streets intersected, where all the good Polish food was around that spot, and more importantly, where he and my grandma used to Polka.
He met Jeannette before leaving for the war. The family heard stories about how he wooed her by being in a band, his fierce moves doing the Jitterbug and Polka, his talented self-taught accordion playing (and piano and guitar ), and their convertible rides. She was a no-nonsense woman, but he somehow won her over quickly. When he returned from the war, they had two beautiful daughters, Barbara and Marie, who they lovingly raised together for decades. John was an artist like no other - up until the day his wife passed in 2021 he drew her love notes that you can still find around the house now. A quick "I love you", a cut out "Love Is." cartoon with his own spin on what she meant to him, and little cartoons stuck to the fridge. But, as sweet as he was to her, he also drove her mad - flirting with and teasing her well into their 80s. They used to sit in separate rooms and challenge each other to Wheel of Fortune duels, Jeannette in the living room with her daughter Barbara, who was notorious for being amazing at that game, whispering answers in her ear so she could shout them to John and beat him every single time.
His family inherited a lot of his best qualities. As mentioned previously, he was an artist. When Barbara had her first daughter, he hand painted the entire nursery with life-sized Disney characters, which both of her children eventually got to enjoy. His ability to create magic from the mundane was passed along to his daughter Barbara, who passed away sadly too soon earlier this year, but could run wild in Joanne Fabrics and make the most amazing creations, his granddaughter Kimberly, who has always been well-known as the true artist in the family with her lifelike drawings and creativity, and her sons, Ezra, and Silas, who used to draw pictures for him which he would proudly display on whatever surface space he could find. He was also sharp as a tack and wildly inquisitive, qualities displayed in his daughter Marie who quickly worked her way up in a largely male-dominated field and her daughter Katie, making the family proud by becoming a doctor. His love of life, sense of humor, and laid-back attitude well into his 90s shines bright in his grandson Michael. And, lastly, his superpower to drive you mad until you complete a task, and then show proof of completion, has been lovingly instilled in his oldest granddaughter, Christina. He never had sons, but he had four men in his life that he was very proud of, and who loved and supported him over the years - Sam (Barbara), Terry (Marie), Jordan (Christina) and Jared (Kimberly). Most recently, his son-in-law Sam, became his best friend. Sam spoiled him so much so that fresh meatloaf was requested every other day - not store bought, had to be made by him, in his kitchen, and he would know the difference.
He was a connoisseur of beers, lukewarm, and casually enjoyed his favorite Miller High Life, the "Champagne of Beers," as an afternoon pick me up. He'd offer his prized cans to you if you came over, even at 9am, and of course lukewarm, so odds are you never took him up on it. But if you are reading this, give a toast to Grandpa J this weekend.
As a wise monk once said, "He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven. Amen." Rest in peace, John.
Celebration of Life Services for John will be on Saturday, October 14 from 9:00am-10:00am, with the ceremony beginning at 10:00am at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 6150 N. Cicero Avenue, Chicago. Burial will take place immediately after at St. Adalbert Cemetery. For info, 773-736-3833 or www.smithcorcoran.com.