Deacon John Ficker, 86, died May 29. He was ordained in 1994 and served at St. George, Tinley Park.

Deacon Ficker was a member of one of the founding families of St. George and lived in the parish his whole life. He met his wife Alice at the church. The couple married in 1952.

As a young man, Deacon Ficker worked as a milkman for Vogt’s General Store. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Korean War.

He and his wife prepared couples for marriage. As a deacon, he officiated at 50 weddings and baptized 500 babies, but he will be most remembered in the parish for the time he spent visiting the sick and taking the Eucharist to them in the hospital.

He is survived by his wife, his children John, Cathy, Larry, Barbara, Michael , Cindy and Daniel; 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.