We'll miss you.  But Diane will be there...and you'll be there in spirit.L.

After 42 years of marriage where to begin?  How about high school where many of you remember John as I do--friendly to all, often tardy and without homework,"...tell me about Knitting and Still Knitting."  But what charm!  A "real nice guy" you would recall--John grew from that modest impression to a fine man and ultimately to those of us who loved him "the most amazing man"John's generousity captured my heart even in high school;his offer of fun and excitment sealed the deal and we were married in his last year at U of I--We soon moved to TN where he received a masters degree and began a career in public service--Later we moved to Marietta, GA where he continued as Director of Planning and Zoning in a large growing county in Metro Atlanta--After career change in 1993 he began his own business as a builder specializing in custom remodelling--John kept his promises spoken and unspoken--Because of his generous spirit John gave himself wholeheartedly to every endeavour--His only luxury the love of exploration and travel--Our method of seeing the world was often on two wheels--bicycles--slow and easy where we tasted the countryside in our own sweat along with the local cuisine--Fun and excitement we had to the max!Our slow mode of travel brought adventures of all sorts--Because we liked flexibility in our itinerary we often had no advance reservations--Hence the night spent in a vineyard in the Loire Valley--not a quaint gite but a spot on the ground--Because we did not always understand local signs we were arrested on Wensaslas Boulevard for parking in a trolley stop--We've been lost in the Black Forest; caught in torrential rain in Wasserburg; and without a franc to our name on Bastille Day--an expired ATM card in our pocket........."What me, worry?"  We once lost our shirts in Ireland when they blew off the windowsill on the Irish coast along with our socks and underwear!It was a rich life--family and friends, travels and toil; work and worship--Two children, John Jr. and Nancy Jean brought us 6 grandchildren--The last born after John's passing and named after 'Pop', John Robert--These along with our two in-law children were the lights and delights of John's life--When the health of my mother took me away, John was often babysitting 5 at one time!John left a legacy of faith and family, work and play that our children are passing on to their children today--God has been good to us--John, you kept all your promises and left us richer for having known and loved you--Thanks for the memories, honey--It was a great ride, and I wouldn't have wanted to miss a thing!Your ever loving wife, Diane