John Joseph Prochaska

John Joseph Prochaska, 57, of Washington, died on Monday, July 17, 2000, at his home.

The funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 21, at St. James Catholic Church in Washington with the Rev. Dennis Martin officiating. A prayer service at St. James Catholic Church will be held at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, July 20. Burial will be in Elm Grove Cemetery of Washington. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Jones Eden Funeral Home with family present from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Memorials may be made to St. James School or the Flowers Forever Team at Sunset Park.

Mr. Prochaska was born May 30, 1943, in Independence, the son of Frank J. and Marie Sullivan Prochaska. He married Jeanne Mertens Stalder on June 26, 1970, in Washington.

A Washington resident since 1968, he taught mentally and physically handicapped junior high and high school students and later served as an administrator and principal at Prairie Flower School. Later, he owned a building construction business and a milk route. He was the executive director of the Washington Chamber of Commerce and owned a video store in Washington. He joined Sitler Supply Company in 1989 and was owner of the business at the time of his death. He graduated with a B.A. from Loras College and an M.A. from the University of Iowa.

He was a member of St. James Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus; a past president and Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Club; an d a member of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, the Washington Golf and Country Club, and the Washington Betterment Association. He was a former member of the Washington Jaycees and served on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Christian of Phoenix, Ariz. and Jason of Vandalia, Ohio; two brothers, Tom of Dubuque and Francis of Bella Vista, Ark; and a sister, Jean Burke of Independence. He was preceded in death by his parents.