Early Monday morning at 4:30 a.m., John Irvin Unger passed away peacefully at his home in Wabash, Indiana. He was 66 years old. To anyone who ever looked at his phone, his whole heart was right there on the screen. Roughly ninety percent of his photo gallery was filled with pictures of his children and grandchildren, and the remaining ten percent was taken up by wild mushrooms.
Born in Wabash on January 12, 1960, John was named after both of his grandfathers. That connection to his family history stayed with him throughout his life. He grew up learning the value of honest labor, graduating from Southwood High School in 1979 before jumping straight into work that required grit and steady hands.
John started out working alongside his family at Mill Creek Stone & Gravel Corp. He stayed there until his father retired in 1991. That same year, he teamed up with his brother Steve to start Power-Wash, Inc. Over the years, he also worked for Dave’s Excavating, Agro-Chem, and joined the Operators Union, where he helped construct the highway interchange at State Roads 24 and 31.
In July 2001, John launched his own business, 2 Guys Workin’ LLC. Customers came back to him year after year because he cared about doing things right. He loved taking raw lumber and building custom kitchens and bathrooms. His routine was simple: measure, cut, nail, sand, and paint until everything fit perfectly.
At home, John found a true partner in his wife, Jane DeLauter Unger. They did almost everything together, from tending to their backyard garden to canning food for the winter. Side by side, they spent years renovating their house, including adding a full two-story garage to the property.
Outside of work, John spent as much time as he could outdoors, often referring to the woods as his church. He loved searching the forest floor for wild mushrooms, studying different varieties to learn about their natural healing properties.
Family remained at the center of John’s life until the very end. Just weeks ago, he took his grandchildren on a family fishing trip to make sure they knew how much he loved them. Funeral services will take place at McDonald Funeral Home in Wabash, with burial to follow at Friends Cemetery, and memorial donations directed to the Noble Township Volunteer Fire Department.
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