Obituary: John Richard Vnuk

John Richard Vnuk, 57, of Cloquet passed away July 1, 2024. He was born in Duluth to Mary and Dick Vnuk on Nov. 18, 1966.

John was a lifelong resident of Cloquet. He spent his early adult years working at Vnuk's Liquor Market. He later became a certified massage therapist and certified nursing assistant, and worked at the Cloquet hospital for many years as an operating room custodian. In addition, he worked briefly at Kwik Trip in Sunnyside. You'd be hard-pressed to run into anyone who didn't know John, either by his given name or his nicknames, Johnny V and Johnny No Cash.

John enjoyed the simple pleasure of fishing on Big Lake, a pastime that brought him tranquility and joy. He had a fondness for karate and practiced both tae kwon do and jujitsu as a child. While he faced many challenges in life, John was a generous soul who always had a kind word for friends and strangers alike, along with an unmatched spirit of positivity. He loved his dog Buddy more than life itself. His proudest accomplishment was his 5-plus years of sobriety. John also had a special place in his heart for his beloved Vikings and had hoped to see them play one more season. An avid sports fan, he spent his last few months attending Wilderness games. John was a Cloquet fixture who will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Mary Vnuk; brother-in-law, Sam Nelson; and nephew Brian Vnuk Zabbia. He is survived by his siblings, Deborah Nelson, Joey (Robert) Zabbia, Dan (Kerrie) Vnuk, and Jeff Vnuk; and his nieces and nephews David and Michael Nelson, Cassandra (Kambui) Moore and their son Noah, Daniel and Jessica Zabbia, and Ross Vnuk.

A Celebration of Life will be held 2-4 p.m. Saturday, July 27 at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet. Inurnment will be held immediately following at New Calvary Cemetery. To leave an online condolence, visit http://www.nelsonfuneralcare.net.