John L. Michalik

John Louis Michalik, age 82, of Dover, died Monday, November 10, 2008, in Hennis Care Center at Dover.A son of the late Joseph and Anna Kragca Michalik, John was born September 5, 1926, at Munday, Texas.On June 18, 1949, John married the former Eleanor Mildred Groppe and together the couple reared a family that includes four children.Prior to settling at Dover, in 1974, John resided in Hampton, VA and St. Louis, MO.He was a former member of the Elks Lodge at Virginia as well as a former member of the Dover Moose Lodge.John served in the National Guard as a motor pool operator; and was an active member of St. Joseph Church at Dover.For more than 15 years, John worked as a Shift Supervisor for Stone Container at New Philadelphia. Following his retirement in 1989, John never stopped working and kept his home and surrounding gardens in near perfect order.In addition to his wife, Eleanor, John is survived by two sons, John Louis (Paula) Michalik of Richmond, VA., William “Hillbilly” (Linda) Michalik of Sherrodsville; two daughters, Deborah Michalik of Weirton, WV, and Karen (Bill) Shaffer of Fairfax, OK.; and two sisters, Josephine Domijan of Fenton, MO and Margaret Antonic of Affton, MO. John was especially close to two grandsons, Don (Angie) Young and John McIntosh both of Dover, and a granddaughter, Debbie (Scott) Ayers of Charlotte, NC. Completing the family are six additional grandchildren as well as 14 great-grandchildren.In addition to his parents, John is preceded in death by four brothers, Frank Michalik, Joseph Michalik, George Michalik, and William Michalik, as well as a twin sister Marie Bauer. The family will receive friends on Thursday, November 13, 2008, from 4:00 â?? 6:30 PM in the Geib Funeral Center at Dover. Father William Arnold will lead a Service of Christian Burial at 6:30 PM in the Dover Funeral Center. In keeping with John’s wishes his body will be cremated and the family has planned an inurnment in the Ridgecrest Memory Gardens at Dover at a later date.At the request of the family, memorial contributions in John’s name may be sent to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 710 West 168th Street 3rd Floor, Room 336 New York, NY 10032.