John Menkhaus

MENKHAUS, Sr., John Paul

On Saturday, February 24, 2024, after a brief illness, our beloved husband, father and friend, John Paul Menkhaus, Sr., at age 80, departed this world to live eternally with his Heavenly Father.

John was born in Cincinnati, OH, on October 6, 1943, during WWII. He was the son of Robert F. and Ruth Williamson Menkhaus. His father, like many young men of that day, was serving overseas and didn't even meet his first born until John was a toddler. After the war, the family settled in Covington, KY, just across the river from Cincinnati, where John grew up and graduated from Holy Cross High School before heading to Northern Kentucky University.

After college, he began working in the medical field for several manufacturers, selling German-made surgical instruments, cardiac pacemakers, orthopedics, and more. In the early days of his career, John worked and lived in multiple cities and states before moving to New Orleans in 1975, where he met his future wife, Susan, on a blind date. After marrying the love of his life, they lived in Covington, LA, before career transfers took them to Birmingham and then to Atlanta, where they lived for 28 years. The last 20 years of his career, he owned his own business, representing manufacturers of diagnostic equipment and large scope processors used in hospitals and operating rooms.

The quintessential salesman, John never met a stranger and always had a story to tell that was apropos for the moment, usually generating laughter and amazing friends that he still had new stories to tell well into his 70's. A fun guy, he was always willing to help others, sometimes to the dismay of his wife, who had several "honey do's" that weren't quite as interesting as those tasks of neighbors and friends. John was larger than life and loved by young and old.

John and Susan loved to travel and were fortunate to visit many lovely spots across the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and ports along the entire Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts, the most recent to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.

John is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Susan (Hagstette); two sons, John Jr. (Lidia Hernandez Bernardino) of Puerto Escondido, Mexico, and Timothy of Cincinnati, OH; sister, Rebecca Nutley (Dennis) of Dillsboro, IN; one grandson, Louis; his Texas and Minnesota cousins whom he called brothers and sisters, Jeannie Tate (Hank), Eric Hagstette (Stephen Sachnik), Guy Hagstette (Doug Lawing), of Houston, TX, Margot Grangaard (Paul) of Minneapolis, MN; along with many loving nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for John on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 2 PM, at Northside Chapel, 12050 Crabapple Rd., Roswell, GA. Pastor Ken May will officiate. A reception for family and friends will be held following the service.

As John was a kidney transplant recipient, he and Susan shared a strong belief in the importance of organ and body donation and made arrangements to that effect. For those interested in donating in John's name, the family asks that you consider the Georgia Transplant Foundation, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Foundation, or the Emory University School of Medicine Body Donor Program.