Dr. John H. Engstrom, 88, of Sycamore, Illinois, died peacefully on December 19, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones at the DeKalb County Nursing Home.

Born July 6, 1937, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Engstrom was the son of LeRoy and Elizabeth (Evans) Engstrom. He grew up in Knoxville and later graduated from the University of Tennessee. He then served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1963. After his service, Dr. Engstrom earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee and a DBA from Indiana University.

John enjoyed several impressive accomplishments, including becoming a Certified Public Accountant and serving as the KPMG Professor of Accounting at Northern Illinois University from 1982 until his retirement in 2005. Prior to that, he was a financial administrator at the University of Tennessee and also taught at the University of Georgia and Indiana University.

Dr. Engstrom authored and co-authored nine editions of Essentials of Accounting for Government and Not-for-Profit Organizations, a widely used textbook in his field. He also contributed to many journals. He served on several national and state committees, including the Governmental and Not-for-Profit Committee of the Illinois CPA Society.

After retiring, John served as Trustee of the State University Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) for ten years, including service as Vice-Chair and Treasurer.

Dr. John Engstrom is survived by his wife, Ann (Korner) Engstrom, his children, Michael Engstrom, Matthew Kiederlen (Dana), Melissa Nicholson (Damian Jarres), and Morgan Kiederlen, as well as 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Services and interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Saint Peter's Episcopal Church in Sycamore, Illinois. For more information, please contact Butala Funeral Home at 815-895-2833.

To sign the online guest book or share a memory, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com