John Robert Deus

John Robert Deus, 78, of Brick, New Jersey, passed away on December 28, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones. Born on September 30, 1947, in New York, John was the son of John J. Deus and Catherine Gallo Deus, both of whom predeceased him, along with his brother Thomas Deus, son-in-law Joshua Keeran, and daughter-in-law Melanie Deus. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle and community leader, John lived a life defined by service, commitment, and an unwavering love for his family.

After serving his country honorably in the United States Army as a Sergeant, John married the love of his life, Anne Ostrander Deus. Together they shared 56 beautiful years of marriage and built a family that was John's greatest pride and joy. He was the devoted father of eight children-April Keeran (Josh); John Deus (Jen); Rebecca Moresco (Ed); Lori Deus-Loper (Brian); Michael Deus (Heather); Thomas Deus (Allison); Annie McPherson (Jamie); and Sara Cholewiak (Steve)-and the proud grandfather of 19 grandchildren: James (Kayla), Nicole, Isabelle, Edward (Kierstin), Andrew, Matthew, Abby, Molly, Nyla, Katarina, Aiden, Frankie, Nia, Cora, Emmarose, Haley, Kienan, Nova, and Julian and soon-to-be great grandfather. His family was the center of his world, and he made each person feel seen, supported, and deeply loved.

Professionally, John spent 25 years as an IT programmer and Director at Sea-Land before going on to run a family-owned sign business for 14 years and becoming part of the local business association. His dedication to community service was remarkable-he served on the Middletown Planning Board for 33 years, including the last 10 as Chairperson. A longtime communicant of St. Leo's Church where he was a parish council member and helped to establish their first financial committee. John also devoted decades to youth sports, coaching baseball, soccer, and basketball and serving on the Lincroft Little League Board of Directors for 30 years, including three years as President. Whether mentoring, leading, or cheering from the sidelines, John gave generously of his time and heart.

John will be remembered for his quiet wisdom, his unconditional love, and his sense of humor that lives on in his children and grandchildren. And those who knew him best will smile knowing that when an everyday phrase suddenly turns into a line from a song, that's John-still with us, still making us laugh. His legacy is one of love, service, and family, and it will carry on for generations to come.

Visitation for John will be on Friday, January 2nd, 2026, from 3-7pm at the John E. Day Funeral Home located at 85 Riverside Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, January 3rd at 9:30am at St. Leo the Great Roman Catholic Church located at 50 Hurleys Lane, Lincroft, NJ 07738. Interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Middletown, NJ will follow.