John Zaiser Sr., 74, of Washington passed away on December 5, 2024.

He was born December 15, 1949 in Burlington, IA, the son of George Jr. and Mary Zaiser. He married Sue Lawrence on June 28, 1975 in Decatur.  She preceded him in death on September 13, 2020.  He was also preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Jay (Debbie) Zaiser.

Surviving are his children, John (Dari) Zaiser Jr. and Samantha (Jarrett) Leverton of Washington, and Josh Zaiser of East Peoria.  He was also Grandpa to eight grandsons, Andrew, Quinten, Easton, Anson, Paxton, Hawkins, Owen, and Lucas; and Great-Grandpa to Carter.  Also surviving are his two brothers, Jim (Teresa) Zaiser, Jeff (Julia) Zaiser, and sister, Jane (Craig) Broeg.

He graduated from Western Illinois University and began a 35 year career in the lab at OSF Hospitals.

He was an avid Chicago Bears and Cubs fan. The Cubs winning the World Series was one of his favorite memories. He also loved his Washington Panthers football and softball cheering on his kids and grandkids.

He was a member of St. Patrick's Church in Washington and served on the District 50 School Board.  In 2023, he made a charitable contribution to District 50 Schools to establish the John and Susan Zaiser Student Fitness Center so that students had a place to exercise and lift weights.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, December 13th at St. Patrick's Church in Washington at 11am. There will be a visitation on Thursday, December 12th from 5-7pm at Deiters Funeral Home and Crematory in Washington, and also 30 minutes preceding the funeral at St. Patrick's Church on Friday from 10:30 to 11am. Burial will be at Glendale Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the staff of Roanoke Apostolic Christian Home, Eureka Hospital, and all the medical professionals that helped him along the way.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Washington St. Jude Run will be accepted in his memory. John and Sue were always big supporters of St. Jude.