John David "J.D." Vanover

John David “J.D.” Vanover, 61, of Owensboro, passed away Thursday, October 3, 2024, at The Heartford House. Born in Chicago on July 8, 1963, a son of the late David E. and Mary J. Parrish Vanover, he moved to Owensboro in 1975. John graduated from Owensboro High School in 1982 where he was a drummer in the Red Devils Marching Band and met his high school sweetheart. He and Sandra Beavin began dating just following graduation and married in 1991. He worked with King Drug and Home Care, where he was a Medical Equipment Technician. Making friends wherever he went, he genuinely appreciated the relationships he developed with his clients.

John’s proudest role was being a wonderful father to his two sons. He steadfastly encouraged them in all their pursuits and was proud of and delighted by their achievements.

John’s musical passion sprang from his time as a youngster in Chicago, followed by his playing with the OHS Marching Red Devils. Growing up in Chicago across the street from the Ludwig Drum Company, where his father and uncle crafted percussion instruments, from his earliest years he loved drums and cymbals.

In 1992, after years of playing with local Owensboro bands, he achieved his dream of becoming a professional drummer, following in the footsteps of his father. He played throughout Kentucky and Indiana. In 1998, his band LaBeatos achieved national radio airplay on the Bob and Tom radio show with their song “I Want a Date with Monica Lewinsky”, which Bob and Tom included on their 1998 C.D.

Over time, John developed a remarkably deep knowledge of antique snare drums, becoming a recognized expert on the histories of the Leedy, Ludwig, Slingerland, George Way and Camco drum companies and the Zildjian Cymbal Company. That fascination led to his creation of a private Facebook group focused exclusively on Slingerland drum sets and snare drums. Serving as administrator, he was gratified to see the group grow from 1, to 500, to now more than 10,000 members worldwide.

John loved his Lord and his country. He enjoyed hanging out with his music buddies, antique cars, supporting the 2nd Amendment, collecting firearms, and target shooting with his sons.

Those who remain to honor his life and cherish his memory include his wife of 33 years Sandra Beavin Vanover; his sons John “Jack” Vanover, and Cole M. Vanover; his brothers Edward “Buck” (Eve) Sizemore of Lakeland, FL, David Eric (Arlyn) Eaglebarger of Monroeville, IN, and Josh (Tonya) Vanover of Owensboro; his cousin, who was like a brother to him, Larry (Sherrie) Vanover of Owensboro; his aunts, Louise Vanover and Gerry Mauser; his nephew, Logan McDonald; his brother-in-law Walter (Anne) Beavin; his sister-in-law Kathryn (Larry) Murphy; his niece Shannon (Randall) Robinson; his great niece Abigail Robinson; and his many loving cousins.

The funeral service for John Vanover will be at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, October 12, at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory and will be live-streamed from his obituary on the funeral home website. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.

 Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Kentucky, directed for The Heartford House.

Memories and messages of condolence for the Vanover family may be shared at www.glenncares.com.