JOHN R. OLACH, age 61, beloved husband of Olga (nee Novakovic); loving father of David J. (Shelby A. Baugher), Rachel M. Olach and Rebecca A. Olach; son of the late Patricia A. (nee Baniel) and Richard J. Olach; dear brother of Janet R. Bacik (George G.) and brother-in-law of Nick Novakovic (Loretta A.); uncle of Keith and Emily Bacik and Kerri and Eric Novakovic; beloved nephew of Robert and Joan Olach, Linda and Denny Bevan; cousin and friend of many.  Passed away unexpectedly March 31, 2025.  Funeral Service Friday, April 4, at 4 P.M. in the CHAMBERS FUNERAL HOME of NORTH OLMSTED, 29150 LORAIN RD. AT STEARNS RD., where friends may call FRIDAY 3-7 P.M.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests you consider blood donation through the Red Cross, or contributions to the Honduran Children's Rescue Fund, 2470 Miramar Blvd., University Hts., OH 44118 https://www.honduranchildrensrescuefund.org/ or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 https://www.stjude.org/donate

John began his career as a draftsman at University Hospitals of Cleveland, working his way up to project coordinator and eventually construction superintendent. During this time, it became evident he had a natural passion for helping others and so committed himself to impacting patient care through hospital construction.

In 2000, he took a position at the Cleveland Clinic, in the office of construction as an owner's representative, where he continued to develop his passion for improving patient outcomes by incorporating state-of-the-art technology. He had a unique eye for this line of work, paying mind to details few could see. John was able to walk into an unfinished room and visualize how the design, technology, and layout would impact patients and their families.

Due to his success in his role, he accepted the opportunity to travel to Abu Dhabi in 2013 to shape the construction of a premier care facility from the ground up. In 2018, John was once again deployed to assist the Cleveland Clinic internationally, moving to London, UK, as the Director of International Construction. He relished the opportunity for a new challenge in the UK, where permitting, demolition, construction, outfitting, and completion were nothing like any project he had worked on before. This complicated project was further challenged by the outbreak of COVID-19. John worked diligently to keep the project on-time and on-budget while maintaining the highest standards of safety.

John was called back to Cleveland in early 2021 to take on the role of Director - Infrastructure Requirements at Main Campus. Despite the challenges of this new role, he continued to provide leadership and advice to the office of construction, guiding and mentoring colleagues through their own professional and personal challenges.

John was a leader – he could take whatever group of people he ended up working with on a project and connect with every single one of them with respect while maintaining strong discipline and focus.

John loved to help others – he was known for helping family, friends, and neighbors with home improvement projects, emergency repairs, or auto issues.

John was a problem solver – he never met a problem, big or small, that couldn't be solved; if something didn't immediately come to mind, he'd marinate on the issue and come back to you hours, days, or even weeks later with a potential solution.

John was fun to be around – always greeting you with a friendly smile and handshake. He always found a way to make people laugh. He would leave everyone in a better mood just by being there. He would elevate any meeting or conversation with insights, fun and warmth. He was just able to see the world differently and see the good in everyone.

John loved his family deeply, often stating that his role in the family was to provide and protect. We are comforted knowing that John will continue to find new ways to provide for and protect us.

John continues his legacy of helping others by his generous donation to Life Bank.