John Temple Pritchard, 70, of Galesburg, Illinois, died on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in OSF St. Francis Medical Center following a brief and sudden illness surrounded by his family.
He was born December 11, 1955, in Galesburg, the son of William Custer Pritchard and Barbara (Bauer) Pritchard. He married Jane Ann Johnson on December 1, 1979, in Galesburg.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 47 years, Jane; four children, Sarah Elizabeth Pritchard of Minneapolis, Minnesota, John Custer (Christin) Pritchard of Burlington, Iowa, Emily Jane (John Ruppel) Pritchard of Coralville, Iowa, and Charles Bauer Pritchard of Henderson, Illinois; six grandchildren, Cali Marie Pritchard, John Jackson Pritchard, Vivian Rose Ruppel, Belle Eliza Ruppel, Lola Vivian Pritchard, and Orion Gage Pritchard; and two half-sisters, Melanie (Peter) Jackson and Melissa (Kip-Scot) DeClark. He was preceded in death by his parents.
John was born, raised, and educated in Galesburg, graduating with the GHS class of 1974. He went on to attend Knox College while working as the publisher of the Register Mail. John shifted from publishing to broadcasting and was the owner of Pritchard Broadcasting in Burlington and Galesburg Broadcasting in Galesburg, with a total of 11 stations.
No one person will ever know the extent to which John dedicated himself to the community, as his humility kept quiet most of his endeavors, but he was undoubtedly a champion for Galesburg. He served as the Mayor of the City of Galesburg from 2013-2021, during which time he created and chaired the board of Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development. He served as President and in other leadership roles for the United Way, the National Stearman Fly-in, Galesburg Hospital Ambulance Service, the Illinois Municipal League, Western Illinois Regional Counseling, and the National Railroad Hall of Fame and Museum.
John, alias “Captain Aloha,” loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. He savored his time acting as tour guide, especially in his beloved Hawai’i and putting his encyclopedic knowledge of Western European History to good use playing and developing war games with his friends near and far.
His dry wit, generous heart, and deep belly laughs will live on in those who loved him. He will be remembered for his kindness, intelligence, and dedication to his family, his civic projects, and his employees.
Cremation will be accorded. A memorial visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, August 27, 2026, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services. Memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday, August 28, 2026, at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Galesburg Public Schools Foundation or a local organization of meaning. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.h-p-w.com.
