John Eric Pritz

John Eric Pritz, age 94, of Rockford, Illinois and Neshkoro, Wisconsin, died at 7:15 a.m. on September 1, 2020, at his home at Morning Star Village after an extended illness.
A lifelong Rockford resident, John was born on October 17, 1925 in Rockford, the son of Eric M. and Marie (Devine) Pritz. He attended St. James School, Jackson School and Lincoln Junior High School and graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1944. Immediately after completing his high school studies, John entered the United States Army Air Corps, missing his own high school graduation ceremony where his father received his high school diploma for him. In the United States Army he served in the Philippines during World War II as a control tower operator; he was honorably discharged from the service in 1946.
After his military service, using the GI Bill, John enrolled in and attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, from which he graduated in 1950. On June 28, 1950, John married the love of his life, Maryjo Domino, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Rockford. John and Maryjo celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in June 2020. John would often say that he was “the luckiest guy on earth” to have Maryjo as his wife.
John spent most of his working life in the retail liquor business, first as part-owner of Domino Liquors and, later, as owner of Pridom Liquors in Rockford. John loved to serve and befriend his customers and never met a stranger. After retirement, John and Maryjo spent many enjoyable years at their lake home on Tuttle Lake near Neshkoro, Wisconsin, which was absolutely John’s favorite place and where he had numerous friends. During his retirement he worked for several years on a part-time basis at Copp’s IGA Grocery in Wautoma, Wisconsin.
A devout Catholic, John attended the Cathedral of St. Peter and, more recently, Holy Family Catholic Church in Rockford as well as St. James Church in Neshkoro. In the 1970’s he was proud to become one of the first eucharistic ministers to serve at Holy Family.
John was a humble, honest, loving, kind and gentle man. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend. He had a wonderful dry sense of humor. He liked to golf and to play cards, but above all he loved to be with his family. He will be remembered by his children and grandchildren as fun-loving, generous, patient and kind – and always willing to take them to the candy store or for ice cream (as much for his benefit as for theirs!!).
John is survived by his wife of 70 years, Maryjo Domino Pritz; his daughter, Lucy (Jim) Pirages of Rockford; his sons, Anthony Pritz and William (Dawn) Pritz, both of Roscoe; and his daughter-in-law, Anne Pritz-Hall of Rockford. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren, Sarah Pritz (Doug) Shields; Alyssa Pritz; Kelli Hall (Scott) Geryol; Maryjo Pirages (Nate) Reynolds; John (Andrea) Pirages; Robert Pirages; Kali (Keith) McKiski; Eric (Paige) Pritz; and Joseph Pritz. Also survived by six great-grandchildren, Kellen and Owen Shields; Emi and Erynn McKiski; Lucy Reynolds and Annie Pirages; his sister and brother-in-law, Patricia and Richard Hobart of Rockford, and his sister-in-law, Jean Domino, also of Rockford, as well as by numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his oldest child, John E. Pritz, Jr., on October 23, 1985. Also predeceased by his parents; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Mariem (William) Niemeyer and Catherine (Thomas) Cunningham; by his brother and sister-in-law, Thomas (Molly) Pritz; by his brother-in-law, Anthony Domino, Jr.; by his parents-in-law, Anthony and Lucy Ingrassia Domino; and by his dear cousins, Anthony and Lillian Cavataio; Leroy and Carmella Clark; and Joe and Marie Turiciano.
The family thanks all of John’s health care providers and, especially, Drs. Ted Ingrassia and Mark Hiser, for their care and compassion. Special thanks also to the staff at Morning Star Village in Rockford for their excellent care during the past several months that John and Maryjo have called Morning Star Village their home and to the staff of Serenity Hospice for their loving care and support.
A walk-through visitation will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. in Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Riverside Chapel, 3910 N. Rockton Ave. A private Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Peter with Rev. David E. Beauvais officiating. To view the Funeral Mass please join the following Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85206130742. Private burial in Willwood Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials in John’s memory please to the Poor Clares Corpus Christi Monastery, 2111 South Main Street, Rockford, IL. 61102. Send condolences and share memories at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.