John Papeleux, age 67 of Prior Lake, passed away surrounded by his family on Saturday, June 4, 2016. A gathering of friends and family will be held on Thursday, June 9, 2016 from 5:00-7:00PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Prior Lake. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, June 10, 2016 at 11:00AM with visitation one-hour prior at St. Michael Catholic Church, Prior Lake. Inurnment will follow at St. Michael Catholic Cemetery. Father Tom Walker will preside. Urn bearers will be Jeff Schmitz, Jess Moeding, Bradley Larson, and Justin Larson. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to be distributed by the family to charities.

On September 8, 1948 Charles Jr. and Frieda (Untch) Papeleux celebrated the birth of their second child, John Lawrence Papeleux. John was born in Chicago where he spent his early childhood with his brother, Chuck, and sisters, Judy and Cindy. Feeling the city was becoming too rough, John’s father decided to relocate the family to Shoreview, MN. They moved into a house on Island Lake. It is here that John developed his passion for water skiing, boating, and being outdoors. As a young adult, John was always active. He excelled as an athlete, especially while wrestling at 103lbs for the Mounds View High School wrestling team.

John continued wrestling during his college years at the University of Minnesota. It was on the west bank of campus at Bimbo’s Bar where John met another student, Julie Michaud. John approached Julie, struck up a conversation and the rest is history. The night they met is fondly remembered because one week later Bimbo’s Bar caught fire and burned down. After dating for several years, the couple exchanged their wedding vows on March 7, 1969. John and Julie’s marriage was blessed with three beautiful daughters, Gina, Kari, and Kelly. It was also during this time that John returned to school at Control Data Institute.

John’s strong work ethic allowed him to excel as an IT management consultant. Over the years, he worked at numerous firms—the VA Hospital, FMC, 3M, and Ecolab. John had a knack for building and mechanics. If something needed to be fixed, he was the guy to do it. His neighbors could always rely on John for advice or to loan one of his many tools. He kept a well maintained yard and an even more meticulous garage and work shop. During his early retirement, John began working at his favorite store, Menards.

Family was the center of John’s world. He passed along his values to his girls—work hard and strive for your goals. Even when they weren’t interested, John insisted they learn how to be self-sufficient, whether it was learning to change their car’s oil, gardening, or learning to read maps. Over the years when the girls were growing up, the family took many road trips across the U.S. in their trusty two-toned Chevy Citation to places such as Arizona and Colorado.

After years of encouragement, John and Julie moved to Prior Lake to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. John would keep the kitchen pantry stocked with the grandchildren’s favorite treats. For John, family time was always time well spent. Before John began chemotherapy treatment, he insisted the entire family take a trip to Arizona. Most recently, despite his declining health, John was able to celebrate Memorial Day with his family poolside, bringing back many memories of their days living on Burke Avenue in Roseville.

John was a determined, kind hearted, meticulous man who cared immensely for his family and friends. He will be truly missed by all! Left to mourn John is his loving wife of 47 years, Julie Anne Papeleux; daughters, Gina Marie Larson, Kari Anne (Jeff) Schmitz, Kelly Renee (Jess) Moeding; grandchildren, Justin

Bradley Larson, Ashly Taylor Larson, Jayden Rae Schmitz, Dylan Grace Schmitz, Taylor Renee Moeding and Lauren Rossi Moeding; siblings, Chuck Barry (Gloria) Papeleux, Judy Louise (Jerry) Swenson; brother-in-law, Roger Rehbein; son-in-law, Bradley Larson; many other loving relatives and friends. John is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Jr. and Frieda Elizabeth Papeleux, and his sister, Cynthia Jean Rehbein.

John was truly blessed by the exceptional staff at Minnesota Oncology and Fairview Hospice Services. The Papeleux family extends their gratitude for the compassion and care provided to John and his family during their journey.

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