John W. Fasbender

John W. Fasbender, age 74, of Geneva, passed away Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at Autumn Leaves in St. Charles.

He was born April 21, 1949, in Rock Island, the son of Harold and Solveig (Carlson) Fasbender.

John grew up in Rock Island, IL, adventuring through ravines and hunting squirrels for his mother’s famous Bridge Club Casserole (recipe not available upon request). He eventually graduated from Rock Island High School in 1967 and made his way to Northern Illinois University for his undergrad. His time studying to be a teacher was enveloped in the transformative social protests and movements of the era, which would deeply impact his sense of humanity and Justice in adulthood. This time also solidified John’s lifelong love of the band The Moody Blues. Upon graduation in 1971, John was hired to teach science at Haines Junior High, part of St. Charles CUSD 303. There he met Mary and after dating and traveling to Europe, they became engaged in 1972. They bought a little house in the Pottawatomie neighborhood shortly, thereafter, setting the stage for incredible friendships with neighbors spanning decades thereafter. In 1977, both a new school and Eric were brought into the world. Eric was a magnet for those aforementioned friends, and the newly christened St. Charles High School brought new challenges and opportunities. Erin came just after in 1979, and John was well on his way to the amazing father he became. Between Boy Scout soap box derby builds, soccer games, and Indian Princess camp outs, John’s kids kept him busy. But never too busy to read the paper while enjoying coffee on a Saturday morning. He found a way to make every childhood discovery a potential science exploration, with walks to the park including guided narration on the nearby flora, and “surprise” blackberry stand sales, a lesson on sustainable crop management. Even an escaped-mouse-in-the-van could become a demonstration to the entire neighborhood on how a boa constrictor could be used to catch some prey in a contained space—and how the sun’s thermo-energy could motivate said snake to re-emerge post demonstration. John was a biology teacher through and through. After earning his Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University, John decided to try his hand at Deans of Students. His 6’4” frame and that deep sense of Justice allowed him to be both a deterring factor from misbehavior and a trusted adult when missteps were made. Many students would comment, “Fas is the fair one,” something that John felt humbled by long after retirement. In the late 90s, John met his beloved wife Colleen while they worked on a course proposal for a class called Food Science (two deeply held loves in John’s life) and they married in 1999. The marriage brought Chris into John’s life and a move to Geneva. Now cross-country meets were part of John’s Saturday mornings, and dinners at local establishments were a showcase of “who can try more fun things.” John shifted out of the Dean’s Office and back into the classroom as Science Department Chair. Eventually John retired after 33 years in D303. Colleen and Erin were both teaching in the district so sometimes John would sub, but mostly he wanted to garden and go to Men’s Club Breakfast on Thursdays at Colonial. Grandkids came and a love for travel brought trips with Colleen all around the world, from China to Europe and everything in between. Through it all, John loved to wear his vivid Hawaiian shirts and try out new recipes with Colleen. He was a Gentle Giant and a Fierce Friend.

John is survived by his loving wife Colleen (Moy); children Eric (Liz) of Watson, Louisiana, Erin Manheim of St. Charles, and Chris (Jenny) Reader of Aurora; grandchildren Peyton Jo and Parker Fasbender, Madison and A.J. Manheim, and Enzo and Nash Reader; brother David (Shirley) Fasbender of Wisconsin; and many other dear relatives and friends. 

He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of pushing his body out of a plane over the Canadian Boundary Waters to rejoin the natural ecosystem, John will be cremated, and a visitation for John will be held at United Methodist Church of Geneva, 211 Hamilton Street, Geneva at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 up until his celebration of life at 4:00pm. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Geneva Park District Foundation, 710 Western Avenue, Geneva, Illinois 60134, or the Morton Arboretum, 4100 IL-53, Lisle, Illinois 60532 would be appreciated.

Arrangements handled by the Malone Funeral Home in Geneva.  For information 630-232-8233 or www.malonefh.com.

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