John T. Pedelty Jr.

    John Thomas Pedelty Jr., 68, of Streator passed away Monday, November 13, 2023, in his favorite place, his home on the banks of the Vermilion River.

     Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 18, 2023, at Hagi & Schultz Funeral Home, Streator, immediately followed by funeral services at 11:00 a.m. also at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Cumberland Cemetery in rural Magnolia.  His nephews will serve as pallbearers.

     Born July 26, 1955 in Streator, he was the son of John Sr. and Maryann (Christoff) Pedelty.  He graduated from Streator High School in 1973.  He married Myra Mills twice in his younger days and with her had one son, J.T. (Carri).  Later in life, he fell in love a final time and married Roberta “Bobbie” Cimei on Oct. 7, 2005, making him a stepfather to Joshua Gallup and Ashley (Lawrence) Appelby.

     Both Myra, on April 29, 2001, and Bobbie, on Dec. 19, 2006, preceded John in death.  He was also preceded in death by his father.

     He is survived by his mother, his son, his stepchildren, step-grandson Trever Siefert and his beloved granddaughter, Alexandria, along with brothers Todd (Lori) Pedelty and Scott (Sherri) Pedelty and sisters Terri (Mike) McFarland, Lynn Schmitz, Trinka (Ron) Starkey, Kelly (Scott) Novotney and Amy (Bridgette) Ferko. 

     A contractor renowned for his skill both with his hands and his mind, John as a young man formed P&M Construction with his business partner, Tom Melvin.  The best friends built the business together for decades until their much-deserved semi-retirements.

     Until the day of his death, John was eager to share his vast expertise, a helping hand and his contagious smile with anyone who needed them.

     He loved his big red Dodge pickup trucks, his rock and roll (especially Foghat), his drag racing, his Chicago Bears, his corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day, his summertime camping and canoeing outings with Alexandria, his Weber grill after a hard day’s work, his canine “kids” Hazel and Lightning (and the others who came before them), his friends, his family, his life along the river and his Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

     For all the things he was great at — and there were a lot of them — his greatest attribute was just being a great guy.

     Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.