My friend John Fabrizius passed away in August at the age of 73.
I first met John in the late 1960s when he was a student at Marmion Academy in Aurora and I was in college at Northern Illinois University. He was the younger brother of my great friend Mike Fabrizius, my high school and college classmate.
When I would visit the Fabrizius family farm near the small town of Virgil, I would be warmly greeted by Mike and John and their parents, Marie and Michael. I would also be greeted by the seven other Fabrizius siblings — more about them later.
John, Mike and their four brothers were tall, strapping young men who shared in the chores of running the family’s dairy farm.
One of my favorite memories is playing basketball with the boys in their barn. The games were friendly and filled with laughter, but my main memory is how easily they knocked me around. It was great fun just being with them. John and Mike and their siblings and parents were about the best friends anyone could ask for.
Because life happens for everyone, we sometimes lose touch with friends as graduations occur and careers take shape. But I would still occasionally see John and visit with him at community and sporting events. He never married, and continued to work the family homestead with his brother Gerard after their dad passed away in 1977.
But John was far more than “just” a dairy farmer. As has been said many times, we frequently find out how remarkable a person is only after he or she is gone.
John was a “universal man” who had much knowledge and talent in many areas. Although he graduated from NIU with a degree in English, he was a lifelong learner. An avid reader, he became well informed in a vast array of disciplines. He had a love of language, had a rare talent for writing, and was able to craft thoughts and remarks into heartwarming messages and eulogies.
He became proficient in German, which helped him to trace his family roots in Germany, and to maintain ties with newfound European friends.
John was a very spiritual person, and would walk to Mass and pray the Rosary daily. He also served as a lector, religious education teacher and fundraiser at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Virgil. He was known to play basketball with religious ed students to help to connect with them.
He was a happy, loyal, grateful and respectful person — a true gentleman in all respects. Some of the online tributes which were left reflected those qualities.
Two of those tributes read:
“I was warmly welcomed into John’s family’s life in 1982 to learn English. Since then, we have forged unbreakable bonds of friendship. It was a great joy when he came to visit us in France.”
“John was highly thought of and had many, many friends who enjoyed his farm stories, quiet understanding of life, honesty and patience. He will be missed by many.”
Above all else, John was a loving person — a strong figure, but always kind and compassionate. He overcame health problems, but they didn’t slow him down and he was not a complainer. He helped to take care of his mom, who passed away in 2014, and would be seen with her at athletic events of his many nieces and nephews, who all had great affection for their Uncle John.
He has now joined his mom and dad and brother Ken. He will be lovingly remembered by his siblings Mike, Ron, Gerard, Lorene, Diane, Chuck and Donna, as well as his nieces, nephews and many friends.
John Edward Fabrizius was a great man. He was a true servant of the Lord, of his family and friends, and of the Earth itself.
And I was lucky enough to be his friend.
Tom Strong is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
