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Cover photo for John David Califf's Obituary

John David Califf

November 30, 1958 — October 27, 2022

Franklin Park

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Celebration of Life

Sax-Tiedemann Funeral and Crematorium

Saturday, November 5, 2022

9:00am - 12:00pm (Central time)

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Memorial Service

Sax-Tiedemann Funeral and Crematorium

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Starts at 12:00pm (Central time)

View Details

John David Califf

Loving husband of Phyllis Califf.
Beloved son of Charles and Mildred Califf.
Devoted father to John, Anna, Ginger, and Joey.
Cherished grandfather to Johnnie, Jack, Jill, Damian, and Thomas.
Dear brother of Laura, Kathy, Charlie, and Patrick.
Fond uncle to many.

Our Papa!

John lived most of his life as an elevator constructor, giving him many long-lasting relationships and a great bonus: the most beautiful views from the high-rises of Chicago, aiding his passion for photography.

He was a kind, gentle man who loved his family. He proved the existence of true love by being a true romantic to his dear wife while raising the bar for any suitors of his cherished daughters. He brought up his children with wholesome morals; to always love, respect and accept everyone.

He was warm to, and appreciative of, all his wonderful friends. He welcomed all the people brought into his life by his children with open arms and opened his home to them, even offering safe haven if needed. He has always gone above and beyond to take care of his family, friends, home and neighbors.

From single-handedly replacing the flywheel on his son's first car, without any prior knowledge on how to do so, to building his daughter the most amazing ceiling bed, he was greatly respected for his intelligence, hard-working mentality and love for learning new skills.

He was a man full of memories, laughter and countless stories. He always loved to entertain and make others laugh, nicknamed "John, Anything For a Laugh Califf", he was a vibrant, master of conversation to all those that had the pleasure of speaking with him.

At the end, he proved to be an incredibly strong person, both mentally and physically, holding on to life for so very long, defying all expectations.

We were all blessed with the time we had with him, will always hold on to the love we have for him and will always and forever share his memory and legacy with the world.

He is now at peace, his final Savasana. 💗

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