John Franklin. Dearth, Jr., age 95 of Columbia, Maryland and Chillicothe, Ohio, died December 7, 2021. He was born in Ross County Ohio on July 2, 1926 to the late John Franklin Dearth, Sr. and Hazel Marie (Minch) Dearth. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Robert, Stanley, and Francis and sisters, Virginia Lutz, Mildred Lutz and Bernadine Helton.
John graduated from Kingston High School, Kingston, Ohio in 1944. He then proudly served in the US Navy in World War II aboard the USS Vinton as a Cook and Signalman in the Pacific theatre. He also proudly played his saxophone with the ship’s band. After the war, he served in the US Naval Air Reserve for 10 years where he learned to fly, following which he obtained a private pilot’s license. He later graduated from Ohio State University in 1952 and was a lifetime member of the OSU Alumni Association. John also acquired a Master’s Degree in Management from Frostburg University in 1971. He was a Registered Professional Engineer and Certified Quality Engineer and one of the first in the western Maryland area.
John held many engineering and management positions during his career. He began his career at Goodyear Atomic Corporation in its Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio which was one of the first three atomic energy plants in the US in the 1950s. Following work there and for Goodyear Tire in Akron, he transferred to Kelly Tires in Cumberland, MD where he held a variety of management positions in design and developmental engineering and later in quality control. When he retired after 34 years of service, he was the Corporate Manager of Product Analysis and Quality Assurance.
Following his retirement, he and his wife of 69 years, Maxine, shared many fun years together with a variety of activities and family by their sides. John enjoyed golf, photography, woodworking, genealogy, music, and following his favorite team, the Buckeyes. He was a long-time member of Walnut Street United Methodist Church where he sang in the church choir for years. He belonged to various Masonic bodies including Logan Elm Lodge 624, Kingston Ohio Chapter and Circleville Commandry, Scottish Rite Cumberland MD, Ross County Shriner’s Club, and the Aladdin Temple of Columbus Ohio. He was a very proud lifetime member of the Ohio State University Alumni Association and an Emeritus member of the Maennechor Choir (a German men’s choir) of Columbus Ohio where he sang and performed for many years.
On March 23, 1950, he married Maxine Elva (Marks) who preceded him in death in 2019. He is survived by a daughter, Dr. Anne Dearth Williams and one granddaughter, Elizabeth Marie Williams, both of Columbia, Maryland. He was especially proud that he shared his birthday with his granddaughter, Elizabeth. He is also survived by several beloved nieces and nephews and many friends.
A private viewing will be held at the Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville, P.A., Clarksville, MD. Following a transfer to Ohio, a viewing will be held at the Ware Funeral Home in Chillicothe, Ohio on December 18, 2021 from 10 am – 12 noon with a service at 12 pm. Interment will be held at the Grandview Cemetery in Chillicothe, Ohio where John will receive military funeral honors. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of John F. Dearth, Jr. to either Walnut Street United Methodist Church in Chillicothe, Ohio 45601, the Ohio State University, or Gilchrist Center Howard County, 6336 Cedar Lane, Columbia, Maryland 21044.
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