John Nowick

John B. Nowick, 79, passed away on Thursday, July 1st, 2021 in Madison, WI. He was born July 14th, 1941, in Chicago, IL, the son of John C. and Anne M. (Balkas) Nowick. He said he was a combination of both of his parents. His work ethic and commitment to family and friends came from his dad. His mother was a talented refined woman from whom he inherited good taste in clothes, furniture, music and love of any place near the water. Both his grandmothers introduced John to a variety of Lithuanian foods and a lifelong love for baked goods. He attended grammar school at Immaculate Conception and High School at St. Philip, both located in Chicago, IL. He then attended St. Joseph College in Rensselaer, IN.

He was a squad leader in the Army and enjoyed his weekends off with a steak dinner listening to Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin LP’s in air conditioning. He met his wife Karen on a blind date on New Year’s Eve in 1968. When working in downtown Chicago, he asked Karen to meet him at Holy Name Cathedral and proposed in one of the pews. John married Karen M. Gryzch on May 15th 1971 in Hammond, IN. This year John and Karen celebrated 50 years of marriage together. John said the most romantic moment of his life was on his wedding day when he looked into his wife’s eyes and realized he would be spending the rest of his life with this beautiful girl. John and Karen moved to Munster, IN where they raised their 3 children, Jon, Amy and Kristen. John said, “Family means everything to me. It is stability, structure, a building block, a port in any storm, a love that is unquestionable, and an integral part of God’s plan.” Together John and Karen created countless memories for all their family and friends in Munster for 47 years. They recently moved to Madison, WI to be closer to their grandchildren Aiden, Alex and Otto.

John was a member of the Holy Name Society at St. Thomas More Church in Munster, IN. He was also a member of the American Legion post 369 in East Chicago, IN. John enjoyed dining at supper clubs, knowing the owners of all local bakeries, classic cars, and bowling. He was a trivia master, a golfer, and was an avid reader. He had a gift for striking up conversations and making even strangers feel welcome. He loved family celebrations most of all.  John was a devout Catholic and his faith in God helped him through his battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was an incredibly loving Husband, Father, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle and Friend. His sense of humor was unmatched as were his kind words. His wisdom will remain through his legacy, that absolutely nothing compares to the love of your family.

Preceded in death by his parents John and Anne. He is survived by his loving wife, Karen, son Jon (Pacia), daughters Amy (Alan) and Kristen (Mathew). He will be missed by his Grandchildren Aiden (8), Alex (6), Otto (4). Cherished by his brother, Roger B. (June) Nowick, nephew Peter Nowick and nieces Kathryn Kniefel, Beth (Jerry) Ignatius, Heather Ruiz and Sarah (Bill) Pardy.

A visitation for John will be held on Thursday, July 8th from 4-8pm at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. Visitation will continue on Friday, July 9th at ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5313 Flad Ave., from 10:00 am until the time of Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am.  To join in on John's funeral mass, please use the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs5NJjDodrc

He will live on in hearts and memories forever.