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John Ivanic died unexpectedly on Monday, July 27, 2020, succumbing to a heart condition. His loss was shocking and unanticipated as he was happy and full of life in the days leading up to his passing – just over one year after undergoing and fully recovering from significant heart surgery. John had many loves, including a passion for sports - the Chicago Cubs and Bears, The Ohio State Buckeyes, Columbus Crew SC and the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. were among his favorite teams, but none were more important than his beloved Northern Illinois University Huskies. John spent his early years living in Columbus, OH, before moving to Moline, IL, where he graduated from Alleman Catholic High School and was a First-Team All-Western Big Six Conference placekicker. John continued his football career at Northern Illinois University (NIU) where as a freshman he was a walk-on, but ultimately graduated with 11 school records, including career scoring. His game-winning field goal over Wisconsin in 1988 was the Huskies’ first win over a Big Ten Conference team. In order to establish a scholarship that can be awarded, we need to raise a minimum of $50,000. Contributions in excess of our initial goal will expand the impact we can have and the number of student athletes we may support. The ultimate goal is to endow the scholarship so John's memory will live in perpetuity.
