Obituary of John "Johnny" James Ahern

John “Johnny” James Ahern, 61, died Thursday, December 28th, 2017 at his mother’s home in Beach Park, IL. The exact cause of death is still unknown, but he was fighting cancer over the past year.  He had been through several months of chemotherapy and a recent major surgery. Cancer, along with the surgery and treatments, took a serious toll on his body and were probable contributors to his death.  

He leaves his son, Joshua Ford and wife Leslie; daughter Sabrina Stockstill and husband Jeremiah, grandchildren Jeremiah, Jonathan, Ethan, Trinity, Mercy, Brayden, Bryce, Eternity, Robert and Elijah, his mother Lois Schlicher and siblings Patricia Paveglio, Robin Johnson, Diana Leusch and Maureen Hood.

He was preceded in death by his father, Earl Ahern and his brother, Kenny Ahern, who died at the age of 16.

Johnny was known for having a vibrant personality, a deep level of curiosity and a loveable sense of humor. He was very intelligent and witty.  Whenever you were with him you were guaranteed a good laugh.  

He was a champion pool player who spent most of his  adult life competing in, and often winning, pool competitions and tournaments.  He lived for the game and enjoyed the people he got to compete with.

He was also a master craftsman. Much of his skills came from working in his early years with his father, who was also known for his engineering and repair skills.  Johnny could work on, build and fix everything from appliances to automobiles to houses. If you needed something built or fixed he was the man to call.

He always had a great interest in health, physical fitness and bodybuilding.  He enjoyed lifting weights and made an effort to do so throughout much of his life.   

A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held on Sunday, January 21st from 1-5pm at the Community Center located at 1520 7th Street, Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096.