John Skapars Obituary

Attorney Skapars, son of the late Antonina, nee Valainis, & Filips Skapars, was born in Latvia on January 10, 1943 and died in a hospital in Chicago on August 24, 2025 after receiving the last rites of the catholic church surrounded by his family and members of the medical staff. John was treated for cancer of the pancreas for 2 years. He is mourned and missed by his wife of 52 years Mirdza, sisters Antonina (late Leo) Trinkuns, Irene Skapars, brother Joseph (Ellen), niece Jennifer (Paul) Szopiak, nephew Matthew (Jenni) Skapars, grand-nephew Joseph Szopiak, also many cousins, relatives & friends.

John with his family immigrated to the USA at the age of 6 years as so-called Displaced Person (D.P.) for permanent residency and future citizenship when the USA president Harry Truman with the USA Congress passed a special refugee act for the admission of World War II refugees. As immigrants the family was sponsored by the Virginia resident, author and writer Mr. Hartzell Spence (who authored the book, One Foot in Heaven, which later was made into a movie) who was also chief editor of the US World War II military newspaper. The family lived and worked on his farm in Virginia for 10 years. John learned the English language in 6 months. In the 8th grade he was voted by his classmates as the best citizen of his class. in Chicago John graduated from high school, the University of Loyola and in 1968 Loyola University School of Law with a jurist degree. He joined the law firm of Hubbard, Hubbard, O'Brien and Hall where he practiced law for many years. Later-on he practiced as a personal injury lawyer. John was a successful lawyer and a good, joyous person who had many friends. He always had a smile on his face and liked to talk about justice and human dignity among other issues. He loved to travel with his wife especially during their earlier marriage years visiting the Caribbean Islands, national parks and many US cities with special monuments. During the longer weekends they both loved to fish together with their friends. John liked to read classical literature and biographical and political books of famous people.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 30th from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at St. Vincent Ferrer Church located at 1530 Jackson Ave. River Forest, IL followed by Holy Mass beginning at 10 a.m. Entombment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery located at Belmont and Cumberland Avenues in River Grove, IL.