John Dangelo Obituary, Death – John Francis D’Angelo, cherished son, brother, nephew, cousin, teammate, and friend to many, passed into eternal life on May 13, 2022. John was born on December 26, 1998, in Evanston, Illinois to Scott L. D’Angelo and the late Nancy K. D’Angelo, nee Sward. John grew up in Naperville, attending Benet Academy and the University of Illinois, where he majored in economics.
John had a passion for sports from a very early age and grew to be a very talented athlete. Whether it was baseball, soccer, tennis, football, golf, or lacrosse, John played with the same level of intensity and talent, always a fierce competitor. Although John played many sports, lacrosse was his passion. John first picked up a lacrosse stick in 6th grade, and thanks to his coaches and teammates with the Fox Valley Lacrosse Club and True Lacrosse who helped inspire his passion, he never put it down again.
He went on to play for Benet Academy, earning all-state and multiple all-conference honors, and was awarded a scholarship to play lacrosse for the United States Airforce Academy. Most recently, John was the captain of the lacrosse team at the University of Illinois. John also loved football, beginning his playing career with the Saint Raphael football program, and finishing with Benet Academy, earning an all-conference designation his senior year. John was also an avid downhill skier, always taking the most difficult runs head on.
Although John loved sports, he also enjoyed art, good movies, and music. And while he was at home on a lacrosse or football field, he especially treasured spending time at his family’s home in Glen Arbor, Michigan, and was known for his prowess catching king salmon on the annual summer fishing trip.
Above all, John will be remembered for his kind and caring heart. His smile and laugh were infectious, and always warmed up the room. John was a loyal and good friend to many. He didn’t judge a book by its cover, and he was gentle and kind to all, especially his younger siblings who missed him when he was away and routinely inquired when he would return. John had a special love for his sister Isabel with whom he shared his childhood. She was his trusted confidant and fiercest supporter.
The words on this page will never adequately describe what John meant to us. We are at a loss imagining our lives without him. Being in John’s presence was a gift of a lifetime.
John is survived by his parents, Scott and Anne-Marie D’Angelo; sister, Isabel D’Angelo, brothers William and John Kennedy and Frank D’Angelo; grandparents, Mark and Dorene D’Angelo, John and Mary Sward, and Mary Wieland; his aunts and uncles, Chris (Kirsten) D’Angelo, Robin (Larry) Ruehlen, John (Nichelle) Wieland, Jacqueline (Brady) Blackett, Christopher (Alicia) Wieland, Karen (Kenneth) Skillender, David (Zeba) Sward, Joseph Sward and Diane Sward; and his cousins, Evelyn, Lyla and Dominick D’Angelo, Olivia, Mark and Benjamin Ruehlen, Maryann and James Wieland, Connor, Katherine and Grace Blackett, Kelly and Kevin Skillender, and Athena, Rheya, Avi, Johanna and Zach Sward. John was preceded in death by his mother, the late Nancy K. D’Angelo, nee Sward, and grandfather, the late John M. Wieland, M.D.
Visitation, Thursday, May 19, 2022, 4:00pm – 7:00pm at Donnellan Family Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Boulevard at Old Orchard Road, Skokie.
Funeral Mass, Friday, May 20, 2022, 11:00am at SS. Faith Hope & Charity Church, 191 Linden Street, Winnetka, IL 60093.
