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John First Obituary
April 21, 1941 - August 20, 2025
State College, Pennsylvania - John Y. First of State College, PA, passed away on August 20, 2025 at the age of 84. He was born in Harrisburg, PA to the late John Y. First Sr. and Julia K. First. John is survived by wife, Barbara L. First of Port Matilda, PA; two daughters: Elizabeth and husband Roberto Labrin of Bellefonte, PA and Suzanne and husband Nick Skapyak of Minneapolis, MN; and two grandsons, Aleksei and Peter Skapyak. He is also survived by younger brother William K. First and older sisters, Mary Ann Claar and Susan Davis as well as several nieces and nephews.
John was a proud graduate of William Penn High School in Harrisburg, PA and went on to graduate from Penn State University in 1964 & 1966 with degrees in Psychology and Business. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
John was a genuinely kind soul, a jovial jokester, with an inquisitive ingenuity that he applied to everything from elaborate home projects to many meaningful friendships. He lived by the motto work hard, play harder! An avid sportsman, he was always up for a pick-up game of, well, you-name-it! He loved to compete. Tennis was by far his deepest passion, and he was a member of the Penn State Tennis Club. John also enjoyed landscape gardening, classical music, and singing in the Centre Heritage Singers and Victorian Christmas Choir.
A loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, and friend to us all, he will be deeply missed. A special thank you to all of the caregivers that gave him comfort in these last years, especially his loving wife, Barbara.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Koch's Funeral Home in State College, PA on August 26, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. The family will receive friends at 4:00 p.m. prior to a sharing of memories at 5:00 p.m.
In lieu of sending flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Arbor Day Foundation at https://shop.arborday.org/commemorative-trees-for-others.
Online condolences can be shared at www.kochfuneralhome.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for John First
Sponsored by Centre Daily Times.
2 Entries
Beverly Hunter
September 1, 2025
Dear Barbara,
I´m so sorry to read of your husbands passing. I´ve thought of you often over the years since our retirement. You and John were such a lovely couple and I remember you speaking so dearly of him. I know you enjoyed many wonderful years together. Take comfort in your wonderful memories at this very sad time. Will be thinking of you.
Ron Rehmeyer
August 23, 2025
Dear Barbara, Joan and I are so sorry for your loss. We loved seeing and talking with John through the years. With warmest friendship, your neighbors Ron and Joan
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Koch Funeral Home - State College2401 S. Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801
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