John "Jack" Maire

John “Jack” Marcus Maire, age 80, passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 1, 2025, at home in Lake Zurich, Illinois, surrounded by the love of his family. Jack’s legacy of love, generosity, kindness, and humor will live on through the many lives he touched.

Born in Monticello, Iowa, Jack grew up across the street from the Great Jones County Fairgrounds. Many of his earliest memories were spent “over at the park” working with racehorses—an early passion that followed him throughout his life.

Jack attended Monticello High School, during which time Donna Gatewood moved into the house next door. They began dating in college, and Jack married the love of his life, Donna, on June 5, 1965. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a business degree and built a successful career in business management in the healthcare industry and in home health care.

Jack had an unwavering devotion to family, and his greatest joy came from being a husband, father, and grandfather. He supported each of them in their individual pursuits with enthusiasm and pride, treasuring every moment.

He often joked, “If I knew how awesome grandchildren were, I would have had them first!” He shared a special bond with each of his grandchildren. —proudly supporting Bridget’s equestrian pursuits, fishing and watching Caitlin Clark at Iowa and the WNBA with Jaqui, and creating projects and having meaningful conversations about life, finance, and the future with Nick.

Jack enjoyed life’s simple pleasures: fishing, growing tomatoes in the garden, watching birds, relaxing on the patio with Donna, and capturing it all through photography and video. Travel was a shared passion between Jack and Donna, especially celebrating their 50th anniversary on a Disney cruise with their children and grandchildren. Jack was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan and cherished reconnecting with lifelong friends at tailgates and reunions.

Jack brought joy to everyone he interacted with. He had a gift for making others laugh, feel heard and valued—whether it was a longtime friend or someone he’d just met. He took a genuine interest in people and often followed up with a card, note, call, or a thoughtful question the next time he saw them.

Jack is survived by his loving wife of nearly 60 years, Donna; his children, Dean (Colleen) Maire and their daughters, Bridget and Jaquelyn; Dawn (the late Martin) Carlino and her son, Nick; his sister, Colleen Shipton; his brother-in-law, Roger Wilson and many dear extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Marcus and Anna Maire; his sister, Rose Wilson; his brother-in-law, Robert Shipton.

Visitation for Jack will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 from 10 AM until the Celebration of Life service at 1 PM at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 941 S. Old Rand Rd., Lake Zurich, IL. 

A graveside service will be held on June 23rd, 2025 at 11 AM at Oakwood Cemetery, Monticello, IA, located on Oak Street (IA Hwy 38), near the high school.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack's name can be made to, Breakthrough T1D, Donate Online or to Crohn's and Colitis Foundation https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/