A photo of Jeff Monreal, owner and operator of Jeff Monreal Funeral Homes posing in a black suit with no background

Painesville Location

1000 Mentor Avenue Painesville, Ohio 44077

Willoughby Location

38001 Euclid Avenue Willoughby, Ohio 44094

Mentor Location

6330 Center Street Mentor, Ohio 44060

SERVICE FOR

John Mikus Jr.

10/23/1921 — 06/19/2017

John Mikus Jr., 95, currently of Chardon, joined the love of his life, his wife Milly, in death on June 19, 2017. He was truly a member of the “Greatest Generation.” Born in Meadowlands, Penn., on October 23, 1921, John enlisted in the Marine Corps at the outbreak of WWII. He fought in several battles in the Pacific theater, including the invasion of Iwo Jima where he was wounded and earned a Purple Heart. He was a true patriot and extremely proud of his time and service in the Marine Corps, which greatly influenced who he was as a man.

He married Milly on February 7, 1948 and the two spent nearly 67 years in a very special and loving relationship. They spent the first few years of their marriage in Pennsylvania before moving to Willoughby Hills where they raised their family of five children. John worked at Lincoln Electric for more than 25 years. During that time he was one of the founding members of the Willoughby Hills Boys Baseball League. He was a highly successful little league manager for many years and passed his knowledge and love of the sport on to his children.

John was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who dedicated his entire life to his wife and family. He was a firm but fair and loving disciplinarian who wanted his children to walk the “straight and narrow” so they would become responsible adults who had the respect of others. While he often said, “Do as I say, not as I do,” he lived his life in a manner that others would have been wise to emulate. John believed in the value of hard work and always doing your best, and he did his best to instill those values in others. (One of his favorite sayings was, “Perfect practice makes perfect.”) After retiring he and Milly traveled extensively across the United States in their travel trailer, including several trips to Alaska.

A life-long Catholic, he helped build his neighborhood’s church, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Meadowlands. More recently he was a member of St. Noel Parish in Willoughby Hills, and while living in Chardon he was served by a Catholic outreach program from St. Mary Parish in Chardon, which he greatly appreciated.

He was preceded in death by his parents Anna and John and sisters, Anna Grudi, Mary Nogay, Susan Durish, Kay Benic, Margie Germovsek and Barbara Zadik. He is survived by his children David (Linda Marx), John (Kathy Hart), Jim (Laurie Greuter), Mary Myles (Ken), Nancy Kurnick (George); ten grandchildren, two great granddaughters, and was eagerly anticipating the birth of his first great grandson later this summer. He was also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to: Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd. Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057 (semperfifund.org).

A funeral mass will be held in his memory at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 21 at St. Noel Church, 35200 Chardon Rd., Willoughby Hills. Immediately following the mass, friends and family are invited to gather for a celebration of his life at St. Noel Banquet Center.

A close-up photo of John Mikus Jr. smiling while dressed in a black suit and red tie

Date

July 21, 2017

Time

11 AM

Location

St. Noel Church

35200 Chardon Rd., Willoughby Hills