John Francis "Jack" Hagan

John Francis ("Jack") Hagan passed away on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at Herrin Hospital. Jack was born March 16, 1930, in Alton, to Francis Hagan and Mary Hagan (Gates) (nee Reid). He married Joan Lavelle Walker on June 23, 1956, and they enjoyed 58 years of marriage until her death in January, 2015.

Jack attended Marquette High School in Alton, graduating in 1947. As the father of three young children, and working full-time, he graduated from SIU Carbondale in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics.

Jack worked a fascinating array of jobs as a boy and young man in Alton, cutting asparagus before school as a 10-year-old, mailing newspapers to soldiers during WWII, working as a bus boy, store clerk, barge deckhand, bricklayer, apprentice boilermaker and auto assembly worker, to name only a few.

He served in the U.S. Army as a radio operator from 1951 to 1953. Following an introduction provided by Joan, Jack joined Olin Corporation in 1957 as an engineering assistant and retired in 1992 as the director of Olin's Solid Propellant Division in Marion, Illinois.

Jack was a member of St. Francis Xavier Church in Carbondale, where he served as a greeter and participated in the RENEW program. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Southern Illinois Healthcare from 1984 to 1996, including a tenure as chairman of the board.

Jack had a lifelong passion for sports. In high school, he excelled at baseball and football and gained notoriety for his billiards play in local competitions. In later years he bowled, played tennis and crewed for friend Leon Striegel in sailing regattas.

But his true passion was golf. He cherished his years golfing with friends as a member of Jackson Country Club and later in the senior league at Hickory Ridge Golf Course.

He and Joan enjoyed an active social life and many friendships, and they traveled often throughout the U.S. and abroad with friends for golf and adventure. His favorite travel destination was Ireland, and he always included a visit to the O'Hagan ancestral lands on his itinerary.

Jack took great pride in his family. He is survived by his four children, Cynthia Hagan (Scott Hendricks) of Carterville, Michael Hagan (Annette) of Algonquin, Molly Hagan of Denver, Colorado, and Matthew Hagan (Anne) of Austin, Texas; his seven grandchildren, Katherine Moake (Brandon) of Crescent, Iowa, Natalie Hendricks (Courtney Felinski) of Atlanta, Georgia, Ryan Hagan (Kristen) of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Kyle Hagan (Kathleen) of Houston, Texas, and Jack, Augie, and Max Hagan of Austin, Texas; his two great grandchildren, Liam and Owen Hagan of Glen Ellyn; and brothers Glen Gates (Barbara) of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and Gregory Gates (Debbie) of Alton, Illinois.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Joan.

Memorial Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Carbondale, with Robert Flannery officiating. Visitation will be Sunday, Jan. 5 from 3-5 p.m. at Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale.

Memorials may be made to the SIH Foundation and will be accepted at the funeral home.