John Joseph Jurasek

Taken from an excerpt that Jean Jurasek wrote about her husband John....

John was born in Detroit, Michigan August 14, 1920. He attended St. Cyril school and graduated from Eastern High School.

He was proud of the years when he had his paper route. He felt that it helped make him a better business man.

In 1941, he graduated from Detroit Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. He started to work for Mr. Arthur Haskill, Drive- All Manufacturing Company. After Mr. Haskill died in 196?, Norman Boxwill, Dick Hostetter and John purchased the business.

I (Jean) was fortunate to meet John in 1948. We were married October 28, 1950 and had two wonderful daughters. He was hard working and devoted, extremely dependable. He enjoyed friends and family, working around his home, bowling, K of C activities and especially the fourth degree.

He planned to live to be 102 years old so he could go to Bill Knapp's restaurant and collect 2%, but God had other plan. He loved his grand children and looked forward to spending more time with them in retirement.

John prided himself on his "good" health. It was almost a sin to be off work due to his illness.

In November 1987, he had a hemorrhoidectomy at a walk-in clinic near Northland. The doctor said that his condition was very bad. He stayed home for only a week from work. He went back for his check-up but not his follow up a month later.

De bie had the theory that some bacteria from the intestine started to work. Anyways, he carried on his busy schedule with a lot of stress due to the uncertainty of conditions with Drive-All in the city. He kept saying that he wanted to retire as soon as everything was settled.

In January 1988, his right eye was getting so bad (sight) due to a cataract that it was necessary to have an implant. His left eye was a lazy eye. Before the operation, he had a check up with EKG, chest X-ray and blood work. The doctor questioned him about a bundle brandhb block which John knew that he had since childhood, but he passed the test enough to have the operation. After surgery, he was thrilled to have 20-20 vision -- the best he ever had. Agian, he returned to work in a week.

His only complaint was that he wondered why he felt so tired... yet he would not go to the doctor for a check up. "When you go, they just find all kinds of things wrong with you" he said.

During the summer of 1988, he worked hard around the yard. He started many projects in the house and even bought a new drafting board.

He enjoyed going the K of C on Tuesday nights and the K of C activities also the 4th degree. During the winter, he bowled in a league on Monday nights and we (John & Jean) bowled every second Saturday. The last night of bowling, he took two jack pots for high game and we took prize money for high series -- in spite of the fact that I (Jean) bowled terrible as usual.

Then, on May 21, 1988, he came home from work, went out and cut the whole backyard. when he finished, he said that his back hurt. He thought it was from the tractor. Next day, (Saturday) he didn't look too well, but he went to Soulliere's to learn how to fix up our front side walk. When he came home, he rested, ate lunch -- then started to complain that he ate too much... although I (Jean) have seen him eat much more. We were getting ready for Leonard's 60th birthday party. I (Jean) was shopping and preparing food-- John took over chairs. When he returned home, we watched T.V. until about 9:30. He continued to not feel too good. He took maalox and later peptobismul, but nothing seemed to help.

John soon got up from bed and was pacing the floor. After, we both settled down and slept awhile. He stayed on his favorite chair in the living room... the he man chair he had picked up on our anniversary last year. Around 12:30, I heard a grunting noise and ran out to hte living room. John was in a stupor--head back, eyes rolling . He was covered with vomitus bile and food. When I asked him to move, he said that he was too weak. He could hardly talk. I said "John, what am I going todo for you?" I wanted to phone for hte ambulance, but he said "please don't." I cut his clothes off him and cleaned him up as bestI could. He rested in between bouts of vomiting. Stupidly, we thought that he had a flu that was going around. Next day, John still didn't want to move from the chair. I didn't realize that it was because he couldn't. He also thought that e had drunk some bad beer.

Leonard and Gene came over for some things I had prepared for the party. They tried to convince John to go to the hospital. He was comfortable now and was taking fluids and voiding.

Kathy, Phil and Mother came later and tried to convince John to go to the hospital. Kathy even called Herbie (Dr. Mendelson) but he was out of town. Phyllis, his wife, said that we should take him to the hospital. He refused to go.

Next day, John rested off and on. In the evening, Leonard came over and we helped him from the chair to the bedroom. That is when I realized that he could not walk. His right leg dangled.

Next day, he sat on the side of the bed to eat, and I noticed that he was eating with his left hand. Always, he wanted me nearby and did not complain. He was voiding and taking fluids (Gatorade). He cold grip with his hands but could not stand or get out of bed without help.

Tuesday, he was not making any progress. His blood pressure was eratic--one time high, one time low. We convinced him to go to the hospital. I phoned Dr. Murray, his former physician whom he hadn't seen for a year or so. He didn't call back for several hours which delayed progress. By that time, Jim and Leonard came over. We backed the car up to the front door. I gave John a bath and we took him to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 8. It was 3am before John was admitted to his room. Diagnosis "dehydration".

Next day, I went to the hospital for visiting hours and stayed with John whole time.

In two weeks he was in the hospital, the diagnosis were brain tumor, brain abscess or cancer on the right side of the brain. Stroke -- although not a typical one, Bacterial endocarditis.

On Sunday, June 5th (I think) John had another major stroke. Form then, he could not swallow and was completely paralyzed, but could still grip. He would choke if he tried to swallow. I stayed with him Monday night, Tuesday, he had the EEG. The doctor told me John's main artery to his brain was completely blocked.On Wednesday, when Debbie went to the hospital, the nurse told her that John was off the critical list and would have to obey visiting hours. Soon, we received an emergency call to the hospital. Debbie said that when they got John up, something happened and he nearly died. They put him in critical care and phoned us.

They worked on John all day. We were only allowed to see him for a very short and unsatisfactory (to me) visit. He died at 5:15 with the hospital personal... his family in the waiting room. Dr. B phoned me later after we returned from vacation. He said that they were convinced that a faulty heart valve caused John's death. It was shooting off emboli.

We cancelled the autopsy because it would have meant that John would only be laid out for one day. Throughout all this, the blessing was that John did not have pain. He was the best patient imaginable. It seems that our time together was so short.