John Hamilton McCracken

John Hamilton McCracken, age 95, of Kankakee passed away Saturday, January 4, 2025 at Riverside Hospital in Kankakee. He died peacefully with his family present. He would have been 96 in two weeks. John was born January 20, 1929 in Kankakee, the son of Howard & Marjorie (Hamilton) McCracken. He was a 1946 graduate of Kankakee High School and was a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. John married the former Nila Berry on November 23, 1957 at Asbury United Methodist Church. They were married 67 years. When Gould National Batteries began in Kankakee, John was their first purchasing agent. In 1960, he became a realtor and three years later he opened his own real estate office, continuing in that business for over forty years. Along with his real estate business, John had a building business and built over 50 homes in the area. He was a certified appraiser, and he served as a director and president of the Kankakee County Board of Realtors. In 1989 he was honored as their Realtor of the Year. Earlier, he had also been chosen Broker of the Year. “Start Packin’, Call McCracken” was his popular slogan. John dedicated much time and energy to civic organizations and volunteer programs, such as the United Way drive. He served on the Easter Seal board, was on the board of the Kankakee Library and was a past director and past president and member of the Kankakee Rotary Club for over 65 years. Also, he served on the board of Mound Grove Cemetery for over 40 years, 25 of those years as president. He was also a director of Kankakee Title and Trust Company, as well as a director of City National Bank, and later First of America Bank. John also served as a member of Riverside Hospital’s first Foundation Board, which started the Riverside Samaritan Club. As a life-long member of Asbury United Methodist Church, John often served on committees, including being chairman of the church’s official board and several times as chairman of the church’s budget drive. He also sang in the choir. John and his wife loved dancing and were members of the Quadrille Dance Club for many years. He was a former president and 70-year member of the Round Table Club, the oldest couples’ study club in Illinois. He loved to travel and after his retirement, he and Nila enjoyed many trips with their “Travel Group” of four other local couples, very dear friends. Among his interests was music, especially jazz and Big Band and Swing Music. He loved singing and it was said that he knew the words to every song of that period, and he might burst into song at any time. One of his greatest loves was water skiing on the Kankakee River, plus boating with family and friends. He was thought to be one of the very first people in the community to water ski, taking it up in the 1940’s, and he taught many people to take part in the sport. He was the only person to have a ski-jump on the Kankakee River, which he and his good friend, Henry Ort, built. He loved his home along the Kankakee River, where he lived for 72 years, and he and his wife enjoyed entertaining friends on their pontoon boat. John also collected antique cars and had as many as seven at different times. John was a “people person” and loved going out for coffee and visiting with the people there. He enjoyed his breakfast group of guys, who met every Wednesday morning for breakfast. After retirement he enjoyed his lunch bunch of guys who met at a different restaurant every Friday. They were known as the Romeos (Retired Old Men Meeting for Lunch). The expression, “He never met a stranger” could certainly apply to him. Besides his wife, Nila, John is survived by his daughter, Jeri Lynn Klausen of Lake Geneva, WI, and son, John Berry McCracken (Joanne) of Kankakee. Grandchildren include, Korbin, Blake, and Wade Klausen and step grandchildren, Kyle (Valerie) Smith, Maggie (Kevin) Prendergast, and Lucas (Amy) Smith, and four step great-grandchildren. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Marjorie Rose and brother Dax McCracken. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the Noon funeral service on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, Kankakee. Inurnment will be held in Mound Grove Cemetery, Kankakee at a later date. Memorials may be made to Riverside Medical Center, Kankakee or Asbury United Methodist Church, Kankakee.

John Hamilton McCracken

January 20, 1929 - January 4, 2025