John Edward Dobbs

John E. Dobbs, age 85, passed away peacefully to eternal life Sunday, January 21, 2024 at his son’s home in Rochelle, IL surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Chicago, IL on November 7, 1938, the son of Erwin and Janice (Dunn) Dobbs.

On August 5, 1961 he married the love of his life, Jeanette C. Lang, and they remained married for 57 years until she passed in July 2019. Together they had a son, John Howard, in July 1964, and a daughter Deborah Kathleen in January, 1969.

John was drafted and served in the US Army from December, 1961 to November, 1967 and was stationed in Berlin, Germany. John enjoyed his hard-earned retirement after working at Continental White Cap as a Tool & Die Maker for 40 Years and being awarded the patent for the “button” on Heinz Ketchup bottles. He was a long-time resident of Des Plaines, IL, was then a snowbird between Lake Geneva, WI and Henderson, NV before he and Jeannette moved back to Lake Geneva, WI in 2012 to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

John enjoyed electronics (including making an OnTV cable box and a lie detector to “test” his children), “flying a hull” on his Hobie Cat, teaching family and friends how to waterski, spending his summer weekends at “the lake” with his wife, his children, and his granddaughters, and laughing while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation…every Christmas.

Survivors include his son John (Kay) Dobbs, daughter Deborah (late husband David) Schober, granddaughters Michelle (Nick Nielsen) Dobbs, Emily (Cameron) Frieden, Niki Dobbs, and Courtney Schober; sisters-in-law Gail Carpenter and Mary Dobbs, brothers-in-law Jim Derbick and Robert “Bud” Connolley, many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews from his and Jeannette’s family; and many other family and dear friends too numerous to name. John was a loyal and loving husband who cared for Jeannette tirelessly when her Parkinson’s took away her ability to walk, an amazing father, a beloved “Grumpa”, an incredibly strong man who served as an example to his family, and a dear friend to many; he will be sorely missed by all.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Erwin and Janice Dobbs, his mother-in-law Olive (Jim) Hayes, his brothers Kenneth and Robert Dobbs, his son-in-law, David Schober, many sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law from both the Dobbs and Lang families, and many dear friends from White Cap and church.

Visitation will be Friday, January 26, 2024 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm with a service at 4:00pm followed by military honors, and food and fellowship thereafter at First Lutheran Church and School, 1101 Logan Street, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147. Interment with Mom’s ashes in their columbarium will be private.

The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, you consider an online donation in tribute to John with Serenity Hospice at www.serenityhospiceandhome.org.

Lazarczyk Family Funeral Homes of Lake Geneva is proudly conducting arrangements.