John C. Gram

John C. Gram, age 64 of Homewood, IL, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.

John is survived by his wife Maureen, daughter Sarah and son John (Hailey), as well as numerous siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews.

On March 9, 1959, John was born at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, IL, to Curtis and Betty Gram. He graduated from Rich Central High School. John and Maureen met on a blind date at a Blackhawks hockey game, where she fell for his sweetness and cordiality. The two married on October 10, 1987, in a ceremony at St. Joseph Church. They raised their two children in Homewood, surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins. Together, the family enjoyed many riotous Christmas Eve parties in their family home and Father's Day golf outings. They spent winter trips snowmobiling and skiing in Wisconsin and summer weekends on lakes throughout Michigan.

Following his father, John began trading commodities at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange at the age of 18. With a powerful voice and sharp mind, he excelled on the trade floor and worked there for more than 20 years. After pursuing other business ventures for a few years, he returned to trading as a day trader online, spending time in his basement abode where he kept track of the news and the markets from his three TVs.

John is remembered for his fun personality and his ability to make others laugh. Simply, he was always the life of the party. He was also known for his wit and ability to figure out how to do anything, earning himself the nickname "John Everything." As a child he loved to take things apart, yearning to learn how they worked. In adulthood, his hands were always busy; he always had some project, from digging out a basement dugout to cultivating a thriving garden each summer, which always grew one too many tomatoes. Doing anything halfway was never an option for John, to the benefit and detriment of everyone else along for the ride. With everything — from raising his children to the performance of Chicago sports teams — it was clear that he cared and cared deeply.

Memorial donations can be made in his name to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation or to Cubs Charities.