John Conrad Bambach Jr.

John Conrad Bambach, Jr., of Suwanee, Georgia, passed away on November 13, 2025 at the age of 83. He was preceded in death by his parents John C. ("Jack") and Otilie (née Jensen) Bambach, and is survived by his wife, Denise (née Lynch), daughter Lee Ann (Maiser Aboneaaj), sons J.C. (Stephanie Siford) and T.J. (Maggie Demsack Bambach), grandchildren Rakan, Jaylim, Jizal, Kelly, Brian, Sean, Jane, and Brooke, brother Tom Bambach (Kay Santos Bambach), nephews Dane and Clifford, and the extended Aboneaaj clan.

John often shared his thoughts in the pages of this newspaper and so, for his readers (both admirers and critics) and friends, we would like to share some things about him - his qualities, interests, and beliefs.

John (Johnny/Dad/Papa to his family) was infinitely witty, intellectually curious, and loving and supportive of the people around him.

He would crack jokes and laugh hard - oftentimes too hard - so that it was impossible not to join. He loved to learn all sorts of things - new words, stats, history - and incorporate them into refreshing takes at the dinner table, in his writings, or in debates with his many friends, whose views of the world often differed wildly from his. And he wanted the best for others - family or otherwise - and would celebrate their successes more than his own.

He loved being at Lake George in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York, which he'd been going to since age 5, happily captaining his boat, the "Sunny Jack," and trying patiently to get people up on skis...or throw them off the tube.

He loved doing crossword puzzles, playing tennis and platform tennis, then pickleball and corn hole, and when even that became too tough on his body, bridge...one of the many card games he mastered.

He loved watching others compete, too, be it sitting on the sidelines watching his grandchildren play sports, a Georgia football game on TV, or teaching someone how to keep score at baseball or bowling.

Away from the field, he loved gardening and oversaw a beautiful collection of flowers, even though he swore he never had a "green thumb."

He appreciated all kinds of food (except rice) but had a special place in his heart for a true thin-crust pizza, especially the ones handcarried down from Kinchley's Pizza in New Jersey by his son T.J., and muhammar, a Palestinian dish of chicken and caramelized onions. He loved a beer or a tall glass of chardonnay to go with it.

But above all these things, he loved being around family - his wife of 63 years, his three children, or his many grandchildren - both the eight directly related to him, and the many others who affectionately called him "Papa John." They all loved him dearly and will miss him so much.

John was born on September 28, 1942 in Teaneck, NJ and grew up in Haworth, NJ, marrying his high school sweetheart, Denise, when they were both 19. He started his professional life as a housepainter, taking night classes at Farleigh Dickinson University to get his BA and MBA. He spent most of the next nearly 40 years commuting daily from his home in Woodcliff Lake, NJ to Manhattan, working at a series of banks and consulting groups, starting with Chemical Bank and including a stint as a "workout man" at NatWest where he dealt with problem loans - including those of Donald J. Trump, whom he often dealt with directly and his opinion of whom he often shared in this newspaper.

John happily left the cold and snow behind in 2004 and moved to Georgia, where in semi-retirement he and his wife opened a Peterbrooke Chocolate store, although his fun there was cut short by the recession. He then spent a few years as a financial advisor to the family business, S&A Industries, before fully retiring. Nonetheless, he remained active until the very end, supporting political candidates he believed in and writing the occasional column for the GDP, surprised and grateful to ever gracious Editor Todd Cline for continuing to humor him (although many GDP readers may be heaving a sigh of relief to be spared more of his "liberal balderdash" - a description he embraced warmly). A celebration of life will be scheduled, for information see flaniganfuneralhome.com.

He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, love, and a hope for a better future for all.