Passionate, adventurous, and determined are just a few of the words we would use to describe John. After 25 years of service, John retired from his beloved job at Orton Ceramic in 2015 after being diagnosed with cancer. Loving his job and the people he worked with, John had hoped to work for 30 years. While his cancer diagnosis interfered with this plan, John remains connected with his former coworkers and has not let his diagnosis keep him from living his best life.

John’s life is impressively busy. Passionate about volunteering, John works at Big Walnut’s Friends Who Share every Monday morning sorting clothes for people and families in need. His commitment to service doesn’t end there. John is also an active member of his church, St. John Neumann, sings in the choir, and is a Fourth Degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

In addition to volunteering, John stays active through various hobbies. John is a very talented woodworker and has created many pieces of furniture for his home. He is also quite skilled at model trains and was proud to show us his latest additions to his train sets.  John also loves to travel. Whenever he crosses into a new state, he likes to film himself walking over the state line. The story of John would not be complete if we didn’t convey his passion for Ohio State. John enjoys cheering on the buckeyes and even has in own cheerleading uniform to share his spirit. He hopes that someday he can meet head coach Ryan Day.

John’s positive nature is enjoyed by everyone who interacts with him. His smile is contagious and spreads joy wherever he goes. We continued to be amazed by all that John is able to fit into a week and we can’t wait to see where he travels to next!