John Richard Maloney, 78, formerly from Oak Park and River Forest, died of natural causes on Oct. 30, 2013 in Phoenix, Ariz. Born on March 21, 1935, he was an U.S. Marine veteran, an entrepreneur, and an inventor. He graduated from Ascension Grade School in Oak Park and married his high school sweetheart, Lynn Delahant. They were blessed with six children, all boys. A salesman at TriMark, a flexcord welding supply company, he started a number of different companies and was a fine storyteller, always with a wink.

John Maloney was the husband of Lynn (nee Delihant); the father of Sean, the late Timothy, Patrick (Diana), Rian (Suzanne), Brennan and Colin (Janine) Maloney; the grandfather of Erin, Daniel, Alanna, Connor, Donovan, Quinn, Mary, Jamison, Tanner and McKenna; the great-grandfather of Willow and Adrian; the brother of William, Robert, Mary Nichols and the late Patricia Higgins; and the son of the late Joseph and Marie Maloney.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, at St. Luke Church, 519 Ashland Ave., River Forest, IL 60305.