John Wally

John Wally, 90, of Lindenhurst, Ill., passed away on May 31, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

John was the first-born to Johann and Anna (née Reiter) Wally in St. Peter, Hungary on August 28, 1933. John spent his early years going to school, getting into mischief with his siblings, and helping his parents run the family farm. World War II resulted in the communists taking over the farm and on April 23, 1946, John and his family, who were German-speaking Austrians by descent, were forced to leave their hometown for Germany.

After graduating from 8th grade in Mannheim, John worked construction and got to enjoy life as a teenager in this German city. In October 1955, his family was sponsored and moved to the United States, having to endure a treacherous 12-day cargo ship transport to get there. They settled in Melrose Park, Ill. and John started his landscaping career at Amling’s Flowerland. He learned English by watching cowboy shows on TV and by serving in the U.S. Army, from which he was honorably discharged as a private first class.

John used the money he made in the Army for a down payment on a new ’57 Oldsmobile Rocket V8 sports coupe. It was with this car that he drove a “good-looking, tall woman with nice dark hair” and her mother home from a German dance that they all attended. That woman, Carolyn (née Noth), became his wife of almost 63 years. Together they bought a home in Franklin Park, Ill. and, early in their marriage, weathered tough times including a cancer diagnosis and multiple miscarriages. In 1964, John, worried about Carolyn’s health and knowing she loved Northern Wisconsin, bought a little cottage on Mercer Lake in Minocqua. Along with their daughters Karen and Laura, the family spent time at the lake every summer. John was a dedicated family man, who instilled in his children the importance of hard work and was very proud of their academic and professional accomplishments. John, himself, eventually left Amling’s and worked his way up to landscape supervisor at First Federal of Chicago, which became Citibank.

The property in Minocqua became the location for John and Carolyn’s year-round retirement dream home. The couple spent almost 20 years enjoying the Northwoods in all its seasons. They were founding members of Peace Lutheran Church in Arbor Vitae and made many wonderful friends during their time in the area. John was a lover of animals — he stopped fishing because he felt sorry for the fish, trained a favorite deer to eat corn out of his hand, and was fiercely protective of the loons on the lake. He also loved being an Opa to Cole and Celia and spent many happy times playing tirelessly with them when they were young. Wally’s Pine Hill is his legacy, to be cherished by his family for generations.

John’s Alzheimer’s began to make life difficult for John and Carolyn and they moved to Victory Lakes Independent Living community in Lindenhurst, Ill. in 2020 to be closer to their daughters. The dementia stole many memories away from John, but he never forgot his beloved wife, Carolyn. Her wish that they stay together and never be separated was made possible by the help of their family, the dedication of their caregiver Reyna Pangan and the support of the Victory Lakes staff.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Joseph, brothers-in-law Erich George and Peter Severance and nephew Tony Kozar. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, daughter Karen and her husband Mark Jackson and their children Cole and Celia, his daughter Laura Wally and her husband Douglas Hyde, siblings Maria George, Karl, Elizabeth (Karl Neuberger), and Stephen, sisters-in-law Valendon Wally and Susan Severance, and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.

To honor John and his wife, the John and Carolyn Wally Endowment (https://bit.ly/AlzheimersCenter) has been set up by his daughters. The endowment will support The Smith Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where his daughter Laura received her medical degree.

John was cremated shortly after his death. Memorial service details will be announced at a later date.