John Edward Sedlock, Sr. left us on May 3, 2025, with the love of his life, Patty Sedlock, by his side, as she had been for the past 44 years.

   John was born with the sagacious understanding that life would certainly be too short to do all the things worth doing and meet all the people worth meeting. As such, he filled each of his days with new ideas, new plans, and new friends right to the very end. Spurning the assessments of countless doctors, he lived for years beyond their estimations, insisting that death should kindly wait while he squeezed out every moment that could be snatched from this mortal life.

   John was born on March 10, 1947, to Ed and Norma Sedlock in Moline, IL as the first of five sons. He is survived by his four brothers: Jim (Lori) Sedlock, Joe Sedlock, Jeff Sedlock, and J.D. (Tracy) Sedlock, as well as many nieces and nephews, their spouses, and his grand-nieces and nephews. He was blessed to maintain close relationships with nearly all of these extended family members throughout his life.

   John attended Moline schools– Roosevelt, Coolidge, and Moline High School– before graduating in 1965. On his 17th birthday, he joined the United States Navy and attended boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, learning to sail on Lake Michigan the summer after his junior year of high school. He returned to Moline High School to finish his high school degree and then was ordered to Skaggs Island, CA , upon graduation, where he attended Cryptologic Class A school. Following, as a cryptologist, he saw duty in Norfolk,Virginia, as well as Kamiseya and Hakata, Japan.

   John finished his Naval obligation on the USS Jamestown, AGTR-3, along the Vietnam coast, from the South China Sea to the Cambodian border. Exposure to agent orange during this time would prove to have lifelong impacts on John’s health and longevity, but he was always resolute in his love of country and pride in his service.

   John was honorably discharged from the Navy at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay on March 9, 1970. He returned to his hometown in Moline, IL where he worked as a photographer for the Moline Dispatch while taking classes at Black Hawk College. Photography would continue to be a lifelong interest and hobby for John. During almost any event, he would be seen with his Nikon slung around his neck, ready to snap the perfect shot of his son’s high school football team, or his daughter leading the marching band in a town parade.

   In the early 1970s, John also got the idea to build his own whole hog spit roaster which he and Patty later used to run a side business catering parties. In one of his favorite stories to tell, he even managed to trick her into catering her own surprise birthday party.

   After a Herculean effort to secure a first date and win her heart, John married Patricia Anne Jolliffe, the best person he ever knew, on January 24, 1981. They purchased a farm together in 1983, just outside Swedona, IL. Together, they transformed that small, old farmhouse and 30 acres into a vibrant, loving homestead where they raised kids and crops, hosted Christmas dinners, and invited hundreds of friends annually for the famous Sedlock/Bowman Chili Parties.

The early days of the farm were home to goats, sheep, chickens, geese, pigs and a horse named Candy. They began selling the eggs from the chickens, leading to the iconic Sedlock Farm “Strainin’ for Quality” chicken logo, which persisted through all future iterations of the farm’s endeavors.

   In 1985, John took a side job traveling to Michigan to pick up a load of asparagus plants and bring them back to the Quad Cities for distribution to local farmers. The truck was accidentally loaded with 10,000 more plants than he was supposed to pick up and John offered to take the plants as payment for the job, changing the course of the rest of his life with that decision. The Sedlock name was soon associated with the best asparagus money could buy throughout the region.

   John sold his asparagus to local grocers and fine dining establishments, but most was sold directly to individual consumers, giving him the opportunity to meet and talk with new people each year. He found great joy in developing relationships with repeat-customers (who turned into friends) and hearing about their lives, families, and accomplishments each spring when they stopped by for a few pounds of fresh asparagus or a jar of Patty’s famous pickled spears.

   John played an instrumental role in establishing the Moline Farmer’s Market in the late 1980s. He sold asparagus and other seasonal crops there each week until the farm became so renowned that on-site sales left nothing extra to be trucked into town. By the time John retired from the farm after over 30 years, he had a base of customers who would travel over an hour to buy asparagus straight from the farm, treating it as something of an annual pilgrimage to welcome the spring season.

   While running the farm, John also continued working in the trades for various companies as a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union, retiring in 2011.

   In 1989, John and Patty decided it was finally time to turn their endless energy and desire for new experiences toward having a family. They welcomed a daughter first, named Mary Jean Sedlock, and a son, John Edward Sedlock Jr., two years later in 1991. The birth of his children marked a new phase in John’s life, which became fully devoted to his children and family.

   The asparagus farm became a family business and John delighted in engaging his children in all aspects of the farm operations, from planting and harvesting to sales and marketing. The farm supported an annual family cruise or Caribbean vacation, which was the source of many happy and long-lasting family memories. Mary Jean found her passions in marching band and theatre. John Jr. became a multi-sport athlete in jr. high and high school. John was resolute to attend every performance, parade, game, and tournament. He was a devoted supporter and advocate for every endeavor his children pursued, and their successes were his greatest joys.

    Family life continued to dominate his priorities and happiness in later years as his children married and brought grandchildren into his life, who will miss him and hold his memory dearly. John Jr. (Erin) has two children, Tristyn (age 15) and Landon (age 7). Mary Jean (JP) has one son, Sullivan (age 2) and a second baby due in July 2025. John reveled in visiting John Jr. and family at their home in Colorado, as well as Mary Jean and family at their home in Maine. The COVID pandemic stole too many of these visits from his healthiest final years, but he still maintained deep connections through phone calls and lit up with glee for every FaceTime.

John will be remembered for his humor, steadfast commitment to family, and proclivity for turning strangers into quick friends. He found interest and entertainment in everything life put in front of him and made the most out of every moment.

   John’s family is deeply grateful to the exceptional teams at the Iowa City VA Clinic, Fresenius Kidney Center of Moline, and UnityPoint Health Hospice Care. Funeral services will be held at Rafferty Funeral Home, Moline on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will be 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 12, 2025 with a rosary recited at 3:30 p.m. Burial will be at National Cemetery, Rock Island. The family requests that memorial donations be made in John’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or QC Animal Welfare Center. 

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