JOHN RALPH KALIN

Loving husband, father and cherished brother and uncle, John Kalin is survived by his former wife Sara Kalin and their daughters Shelby Kalin and Chelsea Kalin. He was predeceased by his parents Paul and Rosemary and his brother Bob, and survived by his siblings Marty, Eric, George, Mary, Joan, Peg, Mark, Patty and Tom, along with their spouses and children.

FROM HIS DAUGHTERS, SHELBY & CHELSEA

“Our father had an immense love for music, which we are so grateful he shared with us. We grew up hearing songs around our home; Neil Young, America, The Who, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Yes were among his favorite artists. We were both very lucky to have a dad show us such classic artists. He also had a love for films, and always took us to see the latest movie.  

Dad had a love for the outdoors.  As children, we remember him being able to name any plant, animal or bird. He loved teaching us about how important it is to connect with nature. We have fond memories of going to Melbourne Beach to watch the sunrise. He taught us to make sand castles, or - always exciting - taught us to look for sea glass. We would feel like we struck gold, or uncovered a buried treasure, finding those sea glass pieces and proudly held them in the air for dad to see.  

Our father always loved to keep us active and busy as kids. He was an adventurer at heart. We will always be grateful for our trips to the fair, hiking, and museums and the amount of effort that he put into us as children. We have countless memories of him taking us to any and every holiday parade. I can remember when he enrolled Chelsea and I into Heat Allstars cheerleading. He was so dedicated and didn't miss one practice, fundraiser or cheerleading event. 

A few things about our father we will miss the most are his wonderful smile and laugh. He could brighten up a room with his smile. If you were having a bad day he always wanted to make you feel better. He was extremely giving and taught us from a young age that materialism isn't what's important in life. He taught us compassion, empathy and to never judge a book by its cover. Above all he always encouraged us to truly be ourselves. There is no way to replace the loss of our father but he will live inside us and we shall carry on his legacy. He will forever be in our hearts.”

John Ralph Kalinauskas was born on November 25, 1955, the eighth of eleven children born to Paul and Rosemary Kalinauskas.  The family shortened its Lithuanian name to “Kalin” in 1959. His father, Paul Kalin, had a Masters Degree in Social Work and worked as the assistant superintendent at the Illinois State Training School for Boys (now the Illinois Youth Center) in St. Charles until 1957.  John's mother, Rosemary, had a degree from St. Xavier’s College for Women and worked as a teacher. 

The family moved to Saginaw, Michigan where Paul worked as the Director of the probation demonstration and research project conducted by NPPA.  In 1960, the family moved to Homewood, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, where Paul worked as the Midwest Regional Director of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. he attended the St. Joseph Catholic School and Homewood Flossmoor High School.

John was a gifted natural athlete and excelled at golf, basketball, and hockey to name just a few sports. He was the proud holder of many trophies and awards for his excellence. He passionately loved the natural world and like many of his siblings, was a born explorer. John was an avid reader and especially loved The Walking Drum by Louis L’Amour.

John studied at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. He served in the US Army, 101st Airborne Division, stationed in the U.S. and in Germany. He served for nearly four years and received Army Service and Overseas Service Ribbons; a Good Conduct Medal; an Expert Rifle Badge and multiple Badges for Sharpshooting and Rifle handling. He was honorably discharged. John was a tenderhearted man, who loved his family deeply and will be greatly missed.

The family requests that donations in John’s memory be made to

NVHS, National Veterans Homeless Support, Inc.

https://nvhs.org/

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