"He was loved deeply and will be missed by many," said John Pisano Jr.'s family
Credit: Ever Loved
NEED TO KNOW
- A body found in a car submerged in an Illinois retention pond in September 2025 has been identified as John Pisano Jr.
- The Army veteran and father disappeared in 2001 when he was 39 years old, according to his obituary
- Divers discovered his remains while searching for another missing person in Hodgkins
A body found in an Illinois pond last year has been identified as a man who disappeared nearly 25 years ago.
Divers found the body inside a car submerged in a retention pond in Hodgkins in September 2025, according to ABC affiliate WLS and a post shared by the Illinois Missing Persons Facebook page.
Chaos Divers, the group that located the body, announced in a Monday, May 18, Facebook post that the remains have been identified as John Pisano Jr.
The group said they were searching for another missing person when they made the “unexpected recovery.”
Pisano, a dad and Army veteran, disappeared in 2001 when he was 39 years old, according to his obituary.
Family said Pisano “faced lifelong struggles with mental illness, a battle he carried quietly for many years.”
Credit: Ever Loved
Pisano is described in the obituary as a “deeply caring” man who “lived life with personality, style, and heart” and “carried himself with confidence and charisma.”
Family said Pisano was a music lover who “often joked that he looked like John Travolta” and “played softball for many years in River Grove.”
They also said “family meant everything” to Pisano, whose love for his kids “remained constant throughout his life.”
“Though his life was marked by hardship and loss, John will be remembered for his spirit, his style, his love of music and dancing, and the deep love he held for his family,” the obituary read. “He was loved deeply and will be missed by many.”
Chaos Divers has asked the public to respect the privacy of Pisano's family “as they navigate this difficult moment.”
“After 24 long years, John's family finally has the answers they have been searching for,” the group said on Facebook.
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The Hodgkins Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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