John Sanchez

JOHN C. SANCHEZ, age 85, of Aurora, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by the love and prayers of his family and now claims the promise of his Savior. BORN: He was born November 21, 1925 in Fredericksburg, TX, the son of Roman and Eloisa (Cardenas) Sanchez. EARLY YEARS : John grew up in Fredericksburg and attended local schools. MARRIAGE John grew up with a girl named Damacia "Nancy" Aleman, that childhood friendship turned into a life of love and they were married on March 2, 1947, in their hometown of Fredericksburg where they began their new life together. In 1962, they moved their family to Elburn, IL, until 1980, when they moved to the southeast side of Aurora where they raised their family and where they lived when John lost his beloved Nancy.OCCUPATION / WORK HISTORY John’s work ethic was forged early by working with his father and uncles for local farmers. He worked at a cotton compress for a time, before finding work in Elburn at E. W. Kneip, a meat packing plant, where he worked as a butcher. When it closed in 1980, John changed his focus and worked for East Aurora School District as a janitor and later a lunch room supervisor. The students weren’t the only ones bringing gifts for the teachers, John made a name for himself as well bringing cookies and other goodies to share. MEMBERSHIPS John was a faithful member of the St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Aurora.LIFE NOTES It didn’t matter where or even if he caught anything, John was always happy with a fishing pole in his hand. He lived and died with his beloved Chicago Cubs, a passion he passed down to his children and grandchildren. He revered Ernie Banks on the North Side, but it was all Dallas Cowboys when it came to the NFL. John also loved to garden, bringing in basket full after basket full of vegetables every harvest that he shared with family and friends. He never missed a "western" on television, especially when Gene Autry and John Wayne graced the screen. A sweet tea and a double cheeseburger was his standing order at McDonalds, a place he loved to visit every day. Any other time, coffee was his drink of choice and it of course also had to come from the "golden arches". In his younger years when the family would get together, the night always ended in a poker game or two. In later years, he enjoyed playing softball as a pitcher for his son’s team in Geneva. His heart was home to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all remember being asked, "Do you have pockets?". Before you knew it, a coin found its way from his pocket and into theirs, each child left feeling as if they were his favorite. It was those times, surrounded by family that he loved best. His greatest gift and the legacy that he left was his generosity and the love he had for his family. SURVIVORS He is survived by six children:John (Pam) Sanchez, Jr. of Batavia, IL, Jaime (Celia) Sanchez of Aurora, IL, Connie Sanchez of Aurora, IL, Amy (Keith) Stone of Montgomery, IL, Terry Sanchez of Aurora, IL and Dede (Jeff) Klein of LaGrange Park, IL;Twelve Grandchildren:John (Lissa) Sanchez, III, of Batavia, IL, Renee Sanchez of Batavia, IL, Tony (Jennifer) Sanchez of Aurora, IL,Jenny (Dan) Shriber of Montgomery, IL, Jaime (Karoline) Sanchez of Batavia, IL, Rosa (Rob) Klein of Lyons, IL, Sara Stone of Montgomery, IL and Elizabeth Klein of LaGrange Park, IL, Alex Cervantes of Aurora, IL, Art Cervantes of Aurora, IL, Jessica Cervantes of Aurora, IL and Javier Cervantes of San Diego, CA;Eleven Great-grandchildren:Katie, Joshua, Sabrina, John IV, Gabriela, Elise, Shauna, Alex, Savana, Nik, Kourtnie, and one on the way;Two Brothers:Jesse Sanchez of San Antonio, TX, and Roy Sanchez of Slaton, TX;Three Sisters:Mary Sloan of Napa, CA, Juana Gaytan, and Lily Aguirre, Lubbock, TX.PRECEDEDHe now joins his wife Damacia "Nancy",his parents, one daughter Sarah Jane who died in infancy, his son, Richard "Poncho" Sanchez and two brothers, Joe and Ray Sanchez.VISITATION / FUNERAL A memorial visitation will be from 4-8 p.m., Monday, October 10, 2011, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. A Catholic memorial mass to celebrate his memory will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 11, at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, 430 E. Downer Place, Aurora, IL. Private family burial will follow cremation at a later date. MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in their name to benefit his favorite charities. Memorial check may be made out to "The John Sanchez Memorial" and mailed in care to P.O. Box 8049, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family through www.conleycare.com.

A memorial visitation will be from 4-8 p.m., Monday, October 10, 2011, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. A Catholic memorial mass to celebrate his memory will be Tuesday, October 11, at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, 430 E. Downer Place, Aurora, IL. Private family burial will follow cremation at a later date.

Private family interment