Less than a month before his beloved Chicago Cubs won the World Series, John Sliney died of heart failure on Oct. 17, 2016. John was born on March 7, 1947 to Edward G. Sliney and Josephine (Bremner) Sliney. John spent most of his youth in Elgin, Illinois where he attended St. Joseph and St. Laurence elementary schools and graduated from St. Edward Central Catholic High School in 1965. Before suffering a knee injury, John was an outstanding football player at St. Eds. However, the sport he truly loved was baseball, both to play and as a die-hard fan of the Cubs. In addition to his devotion to the Cubs, John was an ardent fan of Elvis, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Stephen King, and, of course, his cats. He was a lifelong Democrat from JFK (and all the Kennedys) to Bernie. He thoroughly enjoyed a good board game where his penchant for taking risks was always evident with his scores ranging from the highest highs to the lowest lows. Following high school John spent many years at Elgin Community College, where rumor has it he took nearly every course offered by the school. He subsequently obtained his bachelor's degree from Loyola Seminary, but decided the priesthood was not the right choice for him. Although he held many jobs including salesman at Polk Brothers Appliance and partner in a video store, his vocation was as an educator both in the public schools in Elgin and as a tutor and mentor. He earned a master's degree from Northern Illinois University to advance his teaching skills. John moved to Capistrano Beach, CA in the mid-eighties and resided in California for the rest of his life spending his final years in Rancho Cucamonga. Although John suffered many injuries (how many people survive a collision with a train) and endured significant disability for many years, his attitude was positive and his zest for life undiminished. He was truly an unique individual who will be missed by his many friends.