John Hamann Obituary

John Hamann attended Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, IL. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about John Hamann.

Graduation Year	Faculty
Date of Passing	Aug 21, 2010
About	John's obituary/article in Trib: "John was a great role model for people," said Mr. Hamann's longtime friend and onetime student Tom Domin, now the chair of Willowbrook's physical education department and previously the school's athletic director. "I was lucky enough to have played for him for three years while in high school, starting as a 15-year-old sophomore on John's first basketball team at Willowbrook in 1972. He was upright and honest, and he was a mentor to me." A resident of Villa Park since 1968, Mr. Hamann, 67, died of complications from lung cancer Saturday, Aug. 21, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said his wife of 42 years, Jalaine. Born in Kankakee the son of two teachers, Mr. Hamann grew up in far south suburban Grant Park and graduated in 1961 from Grant Park High School, where he was the ace golfer on his high school team. During high school, Mr. Hamann was influenced toward his career by his father, Gilbert, who taught industrial arts to Mr. Hamann for three years during his 43 years teaching at Grant Park High. Mr. Hamann received a bachelor's degree in science education from Illinois State University in 1965. After completing a master's degree in teaching from Illinois State in 1966, Mr. Hamann joined the faculty at Willowbrook, where he first taught architectural drawing and woodworking. Mr. Hamann adapted to technology changes, transitioning to teaching computer-aided drafting. "I get real excited when we do something new," he told the DuPage High School District 88 board in 1993, according to a February 1993 Tribune article. "You just get wrapped up in it and you then impart the learning that you have just achieved directly to the kids." Mr. Hamann also began coaching basketball at Willowbrook in 1966, eventually serving as the school's head basketball coach from 1972 to 1985. He also became Willowbrook's head golf coach in 1970 and stayed in that role for 34 years. "He absolutely loved coaching," his wife said. "He just wanted to give back to his students and try to affect them with the inspiration to carry on and to be the best that they could. He always said golf is a sport that you'll play throughout your lives, and that it's enjoyable to begin at as young of an age as possible." Mr. Hamann passed his love for golf on to his sons, Jeff and Jim, both of whom played for him at Willowbrook and also went on to be high school golf coaches. They currently head the programs at Maine South High School in Park Ridge and Prospect High School in Mt. Prospect, respectively. Although Mr. Hamann retired as a teacher in 2000, he remained a golf coach at Willowbrook until stepping down in 2004. Even after that, however, he continued to serve as a volunteer golf instructor for children and young adults, his wife said. In addition to his wife and sons, Mr. Hamann is survived by a daughter, Julie; a sister, Joanne Sargeant; and two granddaughters. A service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in Community Congregational Church, 410 S. Cornell Ave., Villa Park.