John Richard Hamstra, age 82, passed away suddenly at home on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Jan (Poturalski) Hamstra, as well as his daughter, Diane Hamstra of Grand Rapids, Michigan and son, John M. Hamstra (Sara) of Mokena, Illinois. Also, he leaves his precious grandchildren Emma (11), Adam (9) and Jack (4) who loved their "Papa John." He is preceded in death by his father, Joseph Hamstra and mother Frieda (Beishuizen) Hamstra. John was a career electrician, working in numerous capacities around the southern suburbs of Chicago. He was known for making the young guys upset for how hard he worked and how fast he went up and down the ladder. They said he made them look bad. The side jobs he did for friends and family are too many to list. His family joked that there weren't many local basement renovations or ceiling fans which didn't have his touch.

John was a terrific husband and truly Jan's best friend. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her. She remembers many snowy winter days when he'd drive her to Hegewisch to the South Shore train station in his Ford 150 pickup rather than see her attempt the trip in her small Ford Fusion. And there were so many occasions he'd attend Sox games with Jan, her family, and friends when we all knew he was a die-hard Cubs fan. And no – you can't root for both teams! Over the years he also helped Jan take care of her parents as they aged, almost as if he was their own son.

John was rarely without a dog by his side and had many fur family members over the years. In his earlier years, John enjoyed his bowling league, but his true love was fishing. He spent long weeks every year at a cabin on a lake in Wisconsin, Canada, or Minnesota trying to catch the big one. He loved to fill the freezer with his catch – whether it was eaten or not. Later in life, he spent a number of years giving back to his community through the local Copper Muggers organization. Hardworking, dependable, and ever-present, John rarely missed a kid or grand-kid event. Choir concerts, theater performances, tee-ball, little league, high school baseball games, cheerleading competitions, wrestling matches, soccer games – he was there for them all without fail. He was known to work a 12-hour shift, drive 2 hours home, and still put on the mitt for a catch in the backyard.

He was loved and respected by many and will be truly missed. Per John's wishes, the family intends to gather later this year for a Celebration of Life gathering. Information regarding dates and location will be forthcoming.