John Harron
Age - 61
November 17, 2023
John Lawrence Harron, 61, of Okemos, MI, died peacefully surrounded by family on November 16, 2023 after suffering a massive hypertensive stroke. John was born on October 28, 1962 in Summit, NJ, growing up primarily in the Philadelphia area before making Michigan his home.
Fun-loving as a child in Media, PA, he loved annual beach and ski trips with extended family; participating for years in Little League and Boy Scouts; playing basketball, flashlight tag and other neighborhood games with the Dartmouth Circle gang. Attending Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, PA in 1980, he excelled in academics, was a talented musician and also earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. After graduation, he followed in his father's footsteps, earning a BS in Chemical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame in 1984. There he loved cheering on the Irish, playing trumpet in the Notre Dame marching band, and hanging out with an enviable circle of lifelong friends, many from his beloved Howard Hall.
Always incredibly quick-witted, John could add a layer of sly sarcasm to just about anything. He could slice, dice, and reduce a situation to a one-liner and level the place, all the while smiling his mischievous smile. Like his golden comments, his golden gestures of kindness could be easily overlooked. He was thoughtful and considerate of others in a quiet and non-attention-grabbing way.
His skills at keen observations of people led him to pursue a career in chemical sales, accepting positions at Betz Laboratories, Inc. and the 3M Company in the greater Lansing area. John was well respected by colleagues, many of whom became very good, faithful friends.
Most recently, John semi-retired and transitioned to working at Kohl's in Okemos where his co-workers were like family. A group of his Kohl's friends often joined him in one of his favorite hobbies, playing competitive team trivia, which is what they were doing on the night of his death.
A devout Catholic, John attended St. Martha's Catholic Church in Okemos and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. One of his favorite ways to give back for many years was to lead a group of volunteers making homemade donuts for the parishioners at 4 am every Sunday.
John loved his family deeply, especially his five children. It would be remiss not to mention his love for his four-legged friends who also brought him so much happiness. His easy-going personality and great cooking brought joy and laughter to friends and family alike. Whether you knew him as John, Johnny, JL, or Jak, he will truly be missed.
As many are aware in his later years John struggled with alcoholism. The disease is a bully, and it pushed John around for years, affecting him and those he loved. We were all rooting for John to gain the strength to fight back, but it wasn't a fair fight, and he didn't have enough time on earth to beat it. Now John is triumphant against all earthly struggles and pain as he is enveloped by God's arms in peace and victory.
John was preceded in death by his parents John G. and Grace M. (McPeake) Harron. He is survived by his five children: Jennifer of Indianapolis, IN, Stephanie of Dunedin, New Zealand, John Patrick of Oakdale, MN, Jessica of Los Angeles, CA and Carolyn Harron (Nick Hamlin) of Webberville, MI; his younger sisters, Melissa Berens of Charlotte, NC and Amy Van Derzee (Jon) of Collegeville, PA; his ex-wife, Lisa Chadwick of Howell, MI; nine loving nieces and nephews; and cousins, aunts and uncles making up an amazing extended family.
Visitation will be held for local family and friends on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 10:00 AM at St. Martha's Catholic Church in Okemos, 1100 W Grand River Ave. , Okemos, MI 48864, with a celebration of life luncheon immediately following at 11:00 AM at St. Martha's. A funeral Mass and burial service will be held in a future month in Philadelphia, PA. Please contact a family member if you would like to receive those details when the date is determined.
In his death, John was able to give a precious and heroic gift to numerous recipients in need through the Gift of Life of Michigan. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating at giftoflifemichigan. org or to the Knights of Columbus.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www. greastlansing. com for the Harron family.Show more
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