Karen vanEs

So very sorry to hear this news. My condolences to John's family and the Highland Park community. You have lost a kind soul.

Pat Evans (Montgomery)

May you rest in peace John  ~~~

Ron Dewees

Iam so sorry to hear that John Passed away,We lived in the same neighborhood and going to the same school my condolences to Johns family.

Ron Dewees

Carl Kannapel

I am shocked to hear the sad news.  I am proud to say that I grew up with John walking to Westbrook Park Elementary School, meetings of Westbrook Park Troop 111 Boy Scouts of America on Friday nights, snow sledding at "The Three Hills", playing with him in neighborhood football and "fumble-itis" games, and on the Beverly Hills JHS football team.  I will always remember how much John LOVED to play football.  My sincerest condolences to his family and friends as we celebrate the life he shared with all of us.

I will miss you, John.

With love from your bro., Carl Kannapel

Carol Owen

John was the kindest soul.  He was also a great dancer, at least in high school.  We had a brief flirtation, prior to Allison Walker capturing his heart.  May he rest in peace.  And may the sweet memories of this man sustain his family during this time of acute loss.  

Arthur Aubrey

I do remember John from........

Somehow we had done well in the Science Fairs that all of us tried in Jr High.

As a result this time we had to trek down to the Franklin Institute because both of us has "scored" / won some sort of award based on our science projects.

But for some reason now lost in the mists of memory John's parent's couldn't take him down to the Franklin Institute  because   possibly their work schedules or other committments interferred.  John intially couldn't go because John himself was not allowed go alone by hopping on the Red Arrow lines and then the  PTC EL to get to Center City to get himself to the awards event. 

He mentioned that when I enthausasticlly asked him if he had heard about the Science Fair awards..

So I suggested that we go together as I really knew my way around Center City and more. That's because for reasons that today would absolutely not be allowed in our protective society..  My sibilings and I had extensive mass transit experience from very early ages including doing things like taking ourselves to a Phillies game at the old Connie Mack Stadium on a summer Saturday when I was 10 my younger brother was 8 and my older brother was 15. This is because from a very early age we all used to walk the block and a half from home to the 69th Terminal and put ourselves on the EL to take us down to dad's business  which was State Hat Cleaning & Shoe Shine Parlor at 15th & Chestnut in Center City to help dad by cleaning and blocking hats running the cash register (lots of fun) shining customer's shoes and cleaning up on any given Saturday.

Well John's parents called my mom and somehow it was now OK for John and I to go together on our own.  So he and I entirely dressed up in jackets and ties / Sunday Best  got to the Franklin Institute in time for the awards event at 9:00 AM  collected our awards (he got gold and I got bronze such is life) and then starting at 11 we had a very long day of fun exploring the City of Philadelphia as for me it was me showing him special places that I had found over my many journeys with my brothers.

We started with me wanting to show him the entire city so I convinced him that there was a elevator to the top of city hall tower and so we went..  And for John it was a bit scary up there at the base of the Billy Penn Statue but in the end he loved it.  He had never been up so high before.  John and his family drove over the Ben Franklin Bridge many times to the shore but  he told me he had never walked accross the Ben Franklin Bridge so then that is what we did and rode the PTC back from Camden. He was amazed that the Bridge swayed gently in the breeze and we watched a big ship pass under it of course from above.  And we got smoke in our eyes from its funnel at the stern as it glided by.

And then we headed home after a long day.