John M. Shuta

John Matthew Shuta was a modest man. He was trustworthy and traditional in both his approach to life and in his various relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of "stick-to-it" attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. John was realistic about life and was always at the ready, prepared to take on any responsibility that faced him.

John came into the world on September 7, 1922. He was the son of Michael and Anna Shuta and grew up in Chicago,Illinois. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. John began to understand the meaning of responsibility at an early age, especially given the fact that his father died when John was 13 years old. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

He was raised with two siblings. He had two younger sisters, Martha and Bernadine. He was the type of person who seemed to be always involved in activities with his family. John and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up, but he was always consistently loyal to them.

He graduated from Crane Tech in 1940. While he was serious about his classwork, he also took time to get involved in other aspects of high school as well.

He was often cautious and careful about the people with whom he became close. There had to be some kind of spark for a relationship to develop. But there were more than sparks, there was magic when John met Dorothea Bahrke.

After 6 months of courtship they became engaged and 6 months after that were married, exchanging vows on November 6, 1949. The wedding service was at St. Hedwig Mission Church in Chicago, Illinois. This marked the beginning of there time together as a family.

John brought the same traditional values by which he lived his life to how he raised his own family. He was a good parent, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He always seemed to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. John and Dorothea had four children, Michael, Daryl, Paul and John. The children would often fill John with pride and joy because of their accomplishments. He was not concerned about teaching through instruction, but was ultimately successful by teaching through example.

John tried his best to make sure the children were raised in a warm and nurturing environment. He was also very traditional about the holidays and vacations on which the family went. Later on in life, they were also blessed with two grandchildren, Zachary and Katherine.

John greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same work ethic from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in just about every situation; this included small groups, one-on-one situations as well as solo tasks. Always able to attend to the task at hand, he was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to details, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. While he worked at several jobs over his lifetime, his primary occupation was working as a small business owner. He also worked as a machinist, salesman, truck inspector and as a tree farm owner.

John was a Navy Veteran. He served during World War II in the South Pacific from 1942 to 1945. He earned not only the respect of his fellow servicemen and women, but also was presented with various medals, including those for the Asian Pacific Campaign and Good Conduct. John achieved the final rank of Aviation Machinist on the USS Pocomoke (AV-9).

John liked to experience things firsthand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies. Since he enjoyed his private time, John always tried to set aside a certain amount of time for working on his hobbies. Some of these hobbies included painting, crossword puzzles, reading, card playing and home improvement projects.

His adulthood recreational sports included golf, bowling, swimming and tennis. He also enjoyed watching his favorite athletes and sporting events, especially top on his list were golf, the Chicago Bears, the White Sox and the Blackhawks.

John was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church for 50 years and served as an usher for many of them. Throughout his later years, he was an active member of the American Legion and Moose Lodge. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Even in retirement, John continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. Favorite vacations included his Wisconsin summer home, Arizona, Florida and numerous road trips.

Also in retirement, he found new pleasure in working at his son's business and playing more golf.

John Shuta left us on March 24th, 2011. He passed away in Naperville. He is survived by his wife Dorothea, his sons Michael, Daryl, Paul and John, his grandchildren Zachary and Katherine and his sisters Martha and Bernadine. Services were held at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. John was laid to rest at Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.

Many would say that "commitment" is a word that best describes the life of John M. Shuta. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from others. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved and was a great husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and a true friend.

Newspaper Notice

John M. Shuta, age 88, beloved husband of Dorothea, nee Bahrke; devoted father of Michael (Pamela), Daryl (fiancé Joan Soppi), Paul, and John (Laura) Shuta; loving grandfather of Zachary and Katherine; dear brother of Martha (late Frank) Neumann and Bernadine (John) Ripka; fond uncle of many. US Navy Veteran of WWII. Visitation Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 2-8 pm at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Ave., Lisle (on Rt. 53, ½ mile south of Ogden Ave. / Rt. 34) where funeral services will begin Monday, March 28, 2011 at 9:15 am and proceed to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church for Mass at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or www.stjude.org. For info, call the funeral home at 630-964-9392.