John N. Botka, 89, of South Bend, passed away on Friday January 24, 2020 at Healthwin Specialized Care, South Bend. He was born on January 7, 1931, in South Bend, to the late Louis, Sr. and Hattie (Szymanowski) Botka. On April 28, 1956 he married Marilyn Bennett, who survives. Also surviving are his son, Keith (Lisa) Botka and his daughter, Kathleen "Kathy" Botka, both of South Bend; 5 grandchildren, Joseph Garwood, Hunter Botka, Cheyenne Botka, Ryan (Missy) Bittner and Jennifer Nemeth and a sister-in-law, Nancy Botka of South Bend. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn Kulwicki and Alice Janisczak; and by five brothers, Richard, Louis, Chester, Clement and Eugene Botka. Mr. Botka retired from Bayer Corporation in January 1993. He was a United States Navy Veteran of the Korean Conflict, a member of the American Legion Post #357, and was passionate about racing pigeons and a was a member of the South Bend Liberty Racing Pigeon Club for many years. Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday February 1, 2020 at the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Dr., South Bend. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 2822 Corpus Christi Dr., South Bend, IN 46628. To send online condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com.
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