John Reno Sprague Jr., 73, a resident of O'Fallon, Ill., went to be with the Lord on Nov. 4, 2014.

John was the eighth great-grandson of the pilgrim Francis Sprague of Plymouth, Mass. John was born March 21, 1941, son of John Reno Sprague and Mary, nee Chamblin, Sprague of Belleville, Ill. Growing up, he attended St. Luke's Grade School and Cathedral High School. He was very active in the Boy Scouts of America and became an Eagle Scout at age 15, making him one of the youngest Eagle Scouts at that time. He attended the 1953 Boy Scout Jamboree in California.

John attended Saint Louis University, graduating with a juris doctorate degree in 1965. He practiced law for more than 42 years in Belleville, Ill., and retired from the law firm of Sprague & Sprague in 2007.

He was an avid hunter, starting his hunting adventures by hunting squirrels, rabbits, ducks, geese, and doves with his father when he was six years old. John started prairie dog hunting in Montana and South Dakota in 1991. In 1994, he was asked to come out to hunt prairie dogs for population control. He also traveled to Wyoming in the high mountains for elk, antelope, and mule deer, to Arkansas for wild boar, to Canada for moose and wolves, to Africa for big game, and to Norway for polar bear with his father, John R. Sprague.

John loved to travel, going to Norway, Switzerland, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, Rhodesia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Ilma de Sol off the coast of Africa, the British Honduras, Belize, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Anguilla, St. Kitts, St. Barts, Antigua, Jost Van Dyke, St. Thomas, Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and every state of the union except Oregon.

Mr. Sprague was preceded in death by his parents; a stepson, Darrell L. Owens; and a daughter-in-law, Debbie Sprague.

A devoted husband and father, he is survived by his wife, Donna F., nee Terry, Sprague; a daughter, Desiree Y. (Tony) Miller of Port Charlotte, Fla.; four sons, Stuart A. Sprague of Lexington, Ky., Reno J. (Gwen) Sprague of Land O'Lakes, Fla., Timothy G. (Shelley) Owens of Marissa, Ill., and Terrance E. (Dawn) Owens of Mascoutah, Ill.; 10 grandchildren, Rachel Owens, Breanna Owens, Brandon Owens, Carley Owens, Brittani Owens, Kalista Sprague, Tanya Sprague, Stuart Sprague, C.J. Cravens, and John Cravens; two great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mary Catherine (John) Langsdorf of Wake Forest, N.C., and Heather Sprague (John) Wilmesher of Barry, Ill.; two brothers, Robert Joseph (Patricia) Sprague of Belleville, Ill., and Theodore Reno Sprague of New Canton, Ill.; nieces and nephews; and his dog, Midnight.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.

Services have been held.