​Obituary for John "Jack" E. MorelandJohn (Jack) Ernest Moreland, age 84, of Village Woods in Crete, Illinois, died while in hospice on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022, surrounded by family at the home of his daughter Pam Moreland-Doup, in Beecher Illinois, from Cerebral Atherosclerosis. He was born May 20, 1937, to the late James Theodore Moreland and Dorothea Helen (Ruickert) in Chicago, Illinois. Jack and Lillian (Weigel) were married on June 3, 1955.

Jack was raised on Chicago’s south side and attended Immanuel Lutheran School and Bowen High School. Jack and his wife Lillian attended Immanuel Lutheran School where they were in the same classes since 3rd grade. He was active in sports and a catcher for the 1956 Chicago All-Star team and played at Wrigley Field. He played Pee Wee football at half time during the Chicago Cardinals Detroit game. Jack also played during the Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers half time game at Wrigley Field. He was scouted by the Baltimore Orioles, but was injured in an industrial accident. Jack’s direct quote, “I had great ambition as a young teenager to be a career baseball player, but by the next year 1957, my playing days were over. Late in 1956, I found a job at the Youngstown Steel Mill, located in South Chicago across the 95th street bridge. I was involved in a major 5-man accident and almost traded my body for a bundle of reinforcing rods. I was fortunate, after 3 months in the hospital, to keep my left leg attached. It is strange how one’s life takes various turns in other directions from where you originally started. I am content with what I have accomplished so far and my post scholastic skills were learned while attending class at “Harvard on the Nile” in the streets of various industries; but there isn’t a night that goes by that I don’t dream of my highlights at the “old baseball field of dreams”, at Bessemer Park in South Chicago.”

Jack’s other passion and hobby was his professional career. He participated in the pioneering development of air supported structures that first appeared in the industry in 1960. In 1970, he was part of a team that developed an air inflated structure to provide chemical and biological protection for military personnel. In 1975, he helped develop a special air supported structure to provide cold weather protection to support construction activity on the Alaskan pipeline. In 1985, Jack developed a secondary containment system for underground leaking storage tanks used by major oil companies to address environmental regulations. In 1995, he helped develop a secondary containment system for large vertical aboveground storage tanks for major oil companies. In 2001, he developed several flexible fuel storage tanks (aka pillow tanks) for the US Army to support the theatre of operations in the Middle East. In 2006, Jack developed a large 200,000-gallon flexible fuel storage tank for the US Air Force to support their air bases in the Middle East.

Previously, Jack was CEO and General Manager of CIDAIR Structures, an officer at MPC Putterman and owner of Moreland International, Ltd. He has traveled millions of miles around the world and crossed the Arctic Circle working on commercial, industrial and defense projects. He was a creative, intelligent and professional entrepreneur and an inventor holding patents. Jack had spoken at many conferences and maintained valuable relationships in the commercial, government, US military and oil industries.

He was a devoted husband and loving father. Prior to moving to Crete, Illinois in 1996, Jack and his family lived in Dolton for 30 years. When Jack and Lillian bought their home in 1965, a half block from Dolton Park, he felt he won the lottery since they had six children. He spent many weekends and occasions playing baseball with his children, family and the neighborhood kids, as well as going on weekend excursions visiting museums and zoos. Jack was a patriot, Republican, active voter and devout Lutheran, including serving in various church leadership roles. He was a lifelong Bears and Cubs fan. Jack and Lillian were lovers and partners for life, knowing each other for 70 years and often referred to her as his beautiful “Elizabeth Taylor” and his beautiful “Rose”, now joining her in heaven on Valentine’s Day.

He is survived by his loving children, Pamela “Pam” Moreland-Doup (John Doup), of Beecher, IL, John “Jack” Moreland of Danville, IL, Deborah “Debbie” (Dennis) Hall of Burlington, WI, Lawrence “Larry” (Victoria) Moreland of Lawton, MI, Mary Lou Moreland of Beecher, IL, and Peggy (late David) Forbes of Tallahassee, FL. Dearest grandfather of Jaclyn Doup (Jason) Benedict of Oceanside, CA, Justin (Jessica Gaspar) Doup of Tinley Park, IL, John “Jackie” (Michelle) Moreland of Hobart, IN, Allissa Hostettler of Plymouth, IN, Matthew Moreland of Plymouth, IN, Jamie (Mark) Spangler of Burlington, WI, Elizabeth “Liz” Hall of Salem, WI, Rachael Moreland of Aurora, CO, Alexander “Alex” (Holly) Moreland of Rockford, IL, Cameron Forbes of Medina, OH and Sydney Forbes of Rochester, NY. Dearest great grandfather of Lucas Doup of Tinley Park, IL, Jackson, Alexander and Zoey Moreland of Hobart, IN, Robert “Bobbie” and Chloe Hostettler of Plymouth, IN, Zachary, Jacob and Samantha Siler of Burlington, WI, and Edward Gureczny IV of Salem, WI.

He will be dearly missed by his sister, Anita (Moreland) Yovich of Grand Rapids, MI, sister-in-law Janice “Jan” (Mummert) Moreland of Springfield, IL and his brother-in-law and friend Ronald Olsen of Benbrook, TX, as well as by many cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and business associates. In addition to his loving wife, Lillian, and parents, Jack is predeceased by his brother Ronald “Ron” Moreland, sisters-in-law Betty Lou (Weigel) Olsen, Mary Lou Weigel (Betty’s twin) and Janet (Weigel) Katschke, and brothers-in-law Robert “Bob” Katschke and Daniel “Dan” Yovich, and son-in-law David Forbes.

Visitation will be held Friday, February 25, 2022, from 6pm-8:30pm and Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 10am-11am at Zion Lutheran Church, 540 Oak Park Avenue in Beecher, Illinois. The funeral service will also be at Zion Lutheran Church at 11am on Saturday, February 26, 2022 with Pastor Ronald Rock officiating. Interment will be at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, 28054 S. Yates, Beecher, Illinois. Hack-Jensen Funeral Home, Beecher, Illinois, is handling the arrangements and can be reached at 708-946-2161.

The family wishes to thank Pastor Ronald Rock, Village Woods and Vitas Hospice for the compassionate care and support they provided to Jack’s family. Charitable donations may be made to Zion Lutheran Church, 540 Oak Park Avenue, Beecher, Illinois 60401.