John F. Seidensticker passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at the age of 83. A Celebration of Life Service is Sunday, August 30, 2015 at 2:00 PM with visitation one hour prior at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, Shakopee. Chaplain Peter Lund will preside and special music will be provided by Leanne Barck.
On January 29, 1932 Frederick and Ethel (Preston) Seidensticker celebrated the birth of their son, John F. Seidensticker, in Oak Park, Illinois. John was the youngest of 5 children (Jane, Margaret, Marie, Lillian and Bill). At a young age, John realized he had natural musical abilities. He began playing the piano at age 13 and it was a passion he had throughout his whole life.
After John graduated from Oak Park High School he attended school at Oberlin College in Ohio. Two years into his collegiate studies he transferred to Northwestern University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering.
While John was in college, he met a secretarial student named, Jean. They fell in love and got married in September of 1956. John and Jean settled in Northbrook, Illinois and were blessed with two wonderful children, Andy and Marnie. As a family they enjoyed having backyard barbeques and traveling together. In the summer they took annual trips to Three Lakes, Wisconsin. John and Jean were together 25 years.
John supported his family by working as a civil engineer in the Chicago area. He began his career in Chicago where he was involved in the design of many high-rise buildings. John was employed for twelve years at Greeley and Hansen, a major engineering design firm specializing in water and wastewater treatment. His responsibilities included conceptual design and planning of all structures. In addition to this work, he taught in the school of Architecture at the University of Illinois Chicago as an Adjunct Professor. He also served on the Illinois Engineer Licensing Exam Committee. In 1985 John joined Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) where he participated in more than 100 investigative engineering projects, including major bridge structures, long-span, wood glulam beam roofs, and Archimedes screw pumps. John had a reputation for being a hard worker and was very dedicated to his field. John retired from WJE after 18 years with the company.
John later met a wonderful woman named Esther. John and Esther were together until Esther passed away in 2005. They lived in Chicago and enjoyed 18 years together. He then moved to Minnesota in April 2006.
John enjoyed retirement, but he never stopped working. He always had some kind of project he was working on. John had a knack for fixing and building things, and he loved working with his hands. John also had a passion for photography. He even had his own dark room in his home and developed his own film. Some of John’s hobbies included target shooting, fly fishing, sailing, extensive reading, love of cats and playing the piano. He also kept a beautiful garden filled with plants and vegetables. John was an excellent cook and baker. He enjoyed cooking for family and sharing his special recipes with his grandchildren.
About 18 months ago, John was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He received excellent care from all of the staff at Park Nicollet Hospice. John became close friends with many members of his care team. After a courageous fight and an admirable life, John passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of Saturday, August 22, 2015 with his children by his side.
John was a kind, generous and loving man. He will be missed and remembered by his children, Andy (Sherrie) Seidensticker and Marnie (Peter) Miller; grandchildren, Jack Miller, Sophia Seidensticker and Wilson Seidensticker. John was greeted in Heaven by his first wife, Jean; second wife, Esther; parents, Frederick and Ethel; siblings, Jane, Margaret, Marie, Lillian and Bill.
