John Litvan

In loving memory of a wonderful father and husband, the family of John K. Litvan announces his passing on August 26, 2024 at St. Joseph’s hospital in St. Charles, MO. John was born September 10, 1945 in Pittsfield, Illinois. He treasured the memories of growing up in Pittsfield and times spent with family and friends in his hometown, including visits with his Class of 1963. He said that he knew every crack in the sidewalks of Pittsfield from his days of riding his bike there during his youth. 

John attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and was conferred a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1968. He had a life certificate for secondary teaching in Missouri. During his studies at MU, he completed the Army Reserve Officers training program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. In 1969, John served overseas in Okinawa, Japan for sixteen months as a logistics officer. He returned to the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed a Master’s in Business Administration. John met Barbara, his bride to be and wife of 48 years, during the orientation for a job with the University of Missouri Extension as a Business Specialist. In 1977, John entered graduate school at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration. 

In 1980, John and Barbara, along with their 9-month-old son John Robert, moved to Springfield, MO, where John taught finance and general business classes for 24 years at Southwest Missouri State University, retiring in 2004. In 1982, John became the proud father of daughter Mary Emily. While in Springfield, the Litvan family enjoyed making lifelong friends with families in the Springfield Catholic Schools system and John said some of his best times were watching John Robert and Mary participate in football, soccer, and tennis activities. John also enjoyed cheering on the SMSU Bears football, basketball, and soccer teams, as a faculty member of SMSU and with Barbara and his children all eventually alumni of SMSU. John enjoyed spending time with family hiking, fishing, and riding bikes. John was a member of the Springfield Southeast Lions Club and served as president, treasurer and secretary, and was named Lion of the Year in 1994. 

Following retirement, John and Barbara moved to Washington, MO in 2005, where John worked as a part-time professor at East Central College in Union for several years. John joined the Washington Lions Club and was honored as Lion of the Year in 2012. John was recipient of corneal tissue from the St. Louis Tissue Bank and following his death was an organ donor. 

In 2016, John and Barbara moved to St. Charles, MO where John loved his role as Papa to Emma, Brooklyn, Mason, and little Caroline May and many fun memories were made with family and friends in New Town, St. Charles. 

John was preceded in death by his parents Leonard J. and Evelyn (Jirka) Litvan, and his brother Robert.

John is survived by his wife Barbara, son John, daughter Mary, son-in-law Courtney Culler, brother Leonard Litvan Jr. and sister-in-law Terry, sister-in-law Gloria, brother-in-law Robert Roehrs, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Joe and Patty (Roehrs) Baker, his grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and many friends.

Mass of Resurrection will be September 27, 2024 at 11:00 am at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, St. Charles, MO. Burial will be at a later date at St. Francis Borgia Cemetery in Washington, MO.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation to Leader Dogs for the Blind, 1039 S. Rochester Rd., Rochester, MI 48307 or Springfield Catholic Schools, The Shepherds’ Fund, 2340 S. Eastgate, Springfield, MO 65809.