LOCAL TEACHER & HONORED BLOOD DONOR – Community Spotlight
According to the American Red Cross, “Donors share a generous spirit, a desire to give back to their community and help others. Blood donors play an integral role in the delivery of modern healthcare. Many life-saving medical treatments and procedures involve blood transfusions and would not be possible without a safe and reliable blood supply.”
John was awarded a red blanket when he achieved 50 pints; a white blanket at 100 pints; along with a white shirt with 14 pins on it. The pins are numbered, each representing one gallon, or in total, 14 gallons of double red blood cells which he has donated. He has compiled 37 t-shirts from around the world, all from friendly blood drive competitions such as the Fire Department facing off against the Police Department. Most recently, John was awarded a fleece jacket from the American Red Cross to celebrate 25 years of donating. He has currently donated an amazing 113 pints thus far.
There is a lot more to the story of John than just giving blood.
John completed his 54th year of teaching at Bishop Luers in May. His areas of teaching include Biology, Health, Anatomy and Physiology as well as Physical Education. The staff at Bishop Luers bid an emotional farewell to John as he entered retirement. He will be missed among the students, teachers and families of BLHS.
He attended St. John the Baptist Elementary School; Central Catholic High School; followed by St. Joseph College where he earned his Bachelor of Arts. John also attended the University of St. Francis completing his Masters in Science. Additionally, he received a National Science Foundation Grant from Ohio State.
John has coached several sports and served as Athletic Director over a 10-year period. His love of many sports led him to officiating. John has been a Sports Official for soccer and basketball for the NCAA and IHSAA, often officiating at tournament level. For the past 42 years straight, he has officiated the Girls and Boys High School Swimming state finals.
A proud father of five children, John also boasts 11 grandchildren. Son, Todd and daughter, Linda Ann reside in Fort Wayne while son, Scott lives in Culver, Indiana. Son, Jude is in Germany and son, Shane splits his time between Moscow and Kiev. This gives John a great opportunity to do what he loves best; travel. He states, “the world is my classroom. I have visited and studied in over 20 foreign countries.” John also admits to speaking a little German and Russian.
Currently living nearby on Fairfield Avenue, John enjoys swimming several times a week at Southside High School. Each summer he teaches at Culver Academy Summer Sports Camp. He is also looking forward to visiting his son Shane this summer, traveling to Kiev, Ukraine and touring Chernobyl. He hopes to meet Leonid Stadnik, a Ukrainian veterinarian who is the tallest living man in the world at 8’4”.
Wherever his travels take him, John is sure to continue to learn and share his knowledge with others.
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