John M. Loete, age 74, of Pingree Grove, passed away on Wednesday morning, August 12, 2026, at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin.

John was born in Moline, Illinois, on August 21, 1951, and was the son of the late Clement J. and Celina (née Loontjens) Loete. He was raised in East Moline and, after graduating from Alleman High School, attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1973.

On September 22, 1973, John married Mary J. McCumber. During nearly 53 years of marriage, they shared a wonderful life and created a warm, loving, and comfortable home. John's greatest joy was his family. He encouraged his children to follow their dreams, as long as they also built a supporting income. He instilled in them his personal philosophy that anything worth doing is worth doing well. He was thrilled to watch them grow into intelligent and successful adults. The gift of grandchildren added a new dimension to his retirement, put a twinkle in his eyes, and brought toys into the den.

John devoted much of his engineering career to public service in several cities, bringing professionalism and care to the often-overlooked work of maintenance. After getting his start in the suburbs of Chicago, he moved across the country to advance his career in the City of Reno where he worked for 13 years before returning to Illinois. A longtime resident of Elgin, he served as the City of Elgin's Director of Public Works for more than 10 years before retiring in 2009. He was also a dedicated and active member of the American Public Works Association for decades.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Mary; their three children, Stephanie Loete, Veronica (Andrew Klauck) Loete, and Adam (Morgan) Loete; and four grandchildren, Avery, Colton, Brooks, and Davis, all of whom he dearly loved and of whom he was immensely proud.

John is also survived by his sisters, Jean Anderson, Janice (Paul) Palgut, and Joyce Hall; his sister-in-law, Viki Loete; a large extended family; and many good friends.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his brother, James J. Loete.

At John's request, he will be cremated; his inurnment will be private.

A celebration of life and final birthday party will be held at Miller Funeral Home, 504 West Main St., in West Dundee, IL, on Friday, August 21, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Instead of flowers, please consider making a donation to Cal's Angels in John's memory. This organization has been very helpful to John's grandson, Colton, and to many other children with pediatric cancer: https://www.calsangels.org/about

Miller Funeral Home in West Dundee is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.millerfuneralhomedundee.com. For information, please call 847-426-3436.