John W. Dyer, Sr., 88, of Bartlett, IL passed away Feb. 18, 2022.

John was born in London, England. He studied organic chemistry and printing ink technology at London University and the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1956. In 1954, he married Joan Francis, and they were married for 67 years.

They immigrated to the US in 1956. John obtained a job at Sinclair and Valentine as a product development specialist, and in 1962, John joined Sun Chemical as a chemist. In 1970, John was a founding member of the Chicago Printing Ink Production Club and served as president in 1977.

In 1973, John started Dyall Products, Inc., and the company was merged with Lawter Chemical in late 1977. In 1978, Joan and John started Dyco Associates, Inc., and in 1980, they started Continental Dispersions, Inc. a manufacturer of pigment dispersions. In 1996 it was merged with Wosltenholme International, a British company.

In 1987 John and Joan donated 15 acres of land to the West Chicago Park District that became the Dyer Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2004, they donated an additional seven acres of land to the West Chicago Park District that became the Dyer Riverwood Farm Park. They felt they owed something to the US and donating land was a way of paying back for the opportunities this country gave them.

John’s colleagues recalled his friendship and his knowledge of ink making.

“John was a great friend of mine,” said Dan DeLegge. “I knew John for over 35 years. He was one of my true mentors in the ink industry. I would go to see him in the afternoon and would not leave until early evening.”

“He took the time to pass on his knowledge freely to help anyone making inks,” DeLege added. “He had great experiences in many areas and was always willing to help new younger guys understand the many facets of our industry, from vehicles to waxes to black bases. He always had a great story to tell and his lectures at ink club meets were never missed. They were great! He will be missed dearly. He was a true pioneer in the ink industry.”

John Carroll first met John at Sun Chemical, and they quickly became friends.

“John and his wife Joan came over to the States from Great Britain in the 1950s, but he always retained that British accent,” Carroll recalled. “He worked with a great group of guys at Sinclair and Valentine in New Jersey, then joined Sun Chemical.

“I first met John in 1965 at Sun Chemical at the Clearing, Illinois plant. When he started the Sun Chemical Products Division, I joined him as an all-purpose gofer and lab tech. We supplied various varnishes and compounds to other ink makers. Weldon Coate introduced John to many of the owners of ink companies at NAPIM events.

“When shortages began to appear in the early 1970s, John left Sun and started up Dyall Products, with Dick Allen of Iovite Chemicals as a silent partner,” said Carroll. “I went with him. He eventually sold Dyall to Lawter and then started Dyco and Continental Dispersions.”

Carroll noted that John was a talented technician, salesman and businessman.

“He was also a great mentor and teacher,” he added. “He had a flair for marketing and building relationships. He was a founding father of the Chicago Printing Ink Production Club, and was its president in the late 1970s.

“John was creative,” Carroll added. “He would often join us in the lab and take a look at our experiments, providing guidance and suggestions that helped us solve the problem of the day. I always felt lucky that I was a part of his team. Business in those days was a perfect fit for John and his gregarious personality. John was one of a now dwindling group of ink industry entrepreneurs that made our industry a great place to work.”

John is survived by his wife Joan, son John W. Dyer, Jr., daughter Sandra Dyer, nephew Eric Francis and niece Julie Francis.