John James Creighton

John James Creighton was born on May 21, 1941, at home in Thomson, Illinois, to Nellie Margaret (LaShelle) and George Herbert Creighton Sr. He attended school in Thomson and graduated from Thomson High School in 1960.

An avid athlete, John was passionate about sports, excelling in basketball and particularly in baseball as a pitcher. His talent on the mound led him to try out for the Milwaukee Braves. One of his proudest achievements was pitching a perfect game on April 22, 1958—a moment he cherished, keeping the game ball and a list of his teammates proudly displayed on his bookshelf.

In 1966, John answered the call to serve, joining the U.S. Army and serving in Vietnam. After three years of active duty, he pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in August 1972. That same year, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area and began working at the Library of Congress while also earning a Master of Science in Justice from American University.

John went on to dedicate his career to national security, working in counterintelligence for the Department of the Army. Throughout his tenure, he served in various intelligence divisions with cryptic four-letter acronyms, including ITAC (Intelligence and Threat Analysis Center) and CITD (Counterintelligence & Terrorism Division). He later earned a second master’s degree, a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College. While John was always tight-lipped about his work, once jokingly describing it to his sister-in-law as "just shuffling papers from one side of the desk to the other," his family always suspected he was a spy for the CIA. 😊

John lived a quiet, independent life at his home in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. He was a skilled marksman, earning numerous first-place awards from his local Pistol & Archery Club, and he loved spending time with his family in Virginia, especially during holidays and cookouts. His signature contribution? Pies—lots of them. He seemed to believe that each person deserved an entire pie of their own.

John was preceded in death by his parents, George and Nellie Margaret Creighton; his brother, George Creighton Jr.; his sisters, Helen Henricksen, Darlene Clarke, and Lana Woodard; and his nephew, Cary Henricksen.

He is survived by his two sisters, Pamalee R. Creighton Eninger (Robert) of Lincolnia, Virginia, and Melodie A. Creighton (Mary R.) of Oskaloosa, Iowa; his half-brother, Bob Wells (Trudy) of Temperance, Michigan; and a large and loving extended family of nieces and nephews, including Janel and Christopher (children of Pamalee), Kris, Kathy, Georgia, and Katrel (daughters of George Jr.), Larry and Jeff (children of Lana), Ken, Steve, Tracey, and Rae Ann (children of Darlene), and Debra, Mary, and Leigh (daughters of Helen).

John will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His quiet strength, dry humor, and unwavering dedication to his work, family, and country leave a lasting legacy.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held 11am – 1pm, Saturday, March 22, 2025 at Law Jones Funeral Home in Thomson, Illinois, with a graveside service following at Lower York Cemetery, Thomson. Full military Rites will be accorded by the Thomson American Legion.