John Foens

JOHN FOENS

Cedar Rapids

1934 2017

John Foens of South Elgin, Ill., formerly of Waterloo, passed away at his family vacation condo in Pompano Beach, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. He was 83 years old.

John was born June 1, 1934, the oldest of three

brothers. He grew up in the Quad Cities and attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, graduating in 1956. John spent three years in the Army, and then taught English and coached all athletic sports in Walker and Tipton, before coming to Waterloo East High School in 1964, where he also taught and coached. He was

recruited to the downtown Waterloo Recreation Center to run the sports programs and served as the assistant director of recreation to Raymond Forsberg for many years. In 1974 he went to Columbus High School, where he was the business manager and athletic director, bringing state championships in football and hockey to the school for the first time. John and Sue moved to

Cedar Rapids in 1977, where John was the city's recreation director and, in 1983, moved to Illinois to become park district director, first in Plainfield and then in St. Charles. They stayed in the St. Charles area after his

retirement.

John is survived by his wife, Sue, to whom he was married for 61 years; and three daughters, Cassandra Foens M.D. of Waterloo, Melissa Jackson and husband, Anthony, of South Elgin, and Vanessa Schneider and husband, Kenneth, of St. Charles; four beloved

grandchildren, Arielle Johnson Pillow and husband,

Andrew, of Indianapolis, Ind., David Johnson and wife, Lindsay, of Chicago, Hayley Jackson of Deborah and Graham Jackson of South Elgin; and Schneider

children, Michael Schneider of Brooklyn, N.Y., and

Aimee Schneider Spring and husband, Robert, great-grandsons, Benjamin and Andrew Spring of Geneva, Ill. His surviving brother, Richard Foens, lives in Marion, along with five surviving nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Dorthy Foens; and younger brother, Robert Foens.