- Date Of Birth: September 25, 1944
- Date Of Death: May 12, 2011
- State: Illinois
Joseph John Mikyska, Jr., 66, Peru City Alderman 2nd ward, passed away May 12, 2011 at St. Margarets Hospital, Spring Valley.
Mr. Mikyska was born on September 25, 1944 in Berwyn to Joseph John and Zdenka Jean Lillian (Mirosovsky) Mikyska. He married Claudia Rose Taylor on December 5, 1965 at the First United Methodist Church in Chillicothe. He graduated from the Western Illinois University with a Master of Arts Degree. He taught at Mendota High School for 3 years and retired from IVCC with more than 37 years of employment. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in LaSalle, Peru City 2nd ward alderman since 1999, board member and past President of Peru Volunteer Ambulance Service, treasurer and past President of Peru Citizens Service Organization, member of Better Fishing Association, served 8 years on the Peru School Board, and was a retired member and past President of AFT-IFT Local 1810. At IVCC, he served as coordinator for students studying abroad for a semester. In 1990, he received the Special Merit Recognition Award for teaching excellence at IVCC. In 1994, he was selected to represent the Illinois Consortium of Colleges and teach a semester at Christ Church College in Canterbury, England. Joe traveled in all 50 States and set foot on 6 of the 7 continents.
He is survived by his wife, Claudia of Peru; one daughter, Jane Zorgdrager of LaSalle; one son, Carl (Michelle) Mikyska of Tallahassee, FL; 5 grandchildren, John, Alisha, and Megan Zorgdrager and Allison and David Joseph Mikyska; one brother, Kenneth (Gloria) Mikyska of Plano.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Glenn Mikyska; and his sister-in-law, Karen Mikyska.
