John Yates Jr.

John Yates Jr, age 48 of Crawfordsville, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2026 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born on May 9, 1978 to John and Mary (Hohner) in Hinsdale, IL. John married Nikki Leaming on June 7, 2013 in Nauvoo, IL.

He was a graduate of Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, IL in 1996. John attended courses at Lawrence University and transferred to the University of Washington. He valued education and continued to learn throughout his life. John was a member of the Masonic Lodge 50 and Scottish Rite, formerly serving as the Chaplin at the Crawfordsville Lodge. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Crawfordsville. John also volunteered with a cyber security and censorship group. In his younger years, he enjoyed playing chess and recently started teaching the game to his daughters. John will be best remembered for his thirst for knowledge, especially learning mathematics and quantum physics.

John will be missed by his wife, Nikki; 3 children, John III, Eva, and LilyVi Yates; twin sister, Rebecca Yates; younger siblings, Ben (Jennifer) Yates and Johanna Yates. He is also survived by his father, John Yates Sr; mother, Mary Kooi; stepmothers, Marge Tomasik and ShiHui Yates and extended family.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday August 15, 2026 at 11:00 am in Mace Community Cemetery. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held at a later date at the Masonic Lodge. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Masonic Lodge #50, 221 S Washington Street, Crawfordsville, IN 47933. Share memories and condolences at www.SandersFuneralCare.com.