John Stephen Fenwick

John Stephen Fenwick, 100, peacefully passed away at his home in Keystone Heights, Florida on Saturday, February 21, 2026. John was born and raised in Burlington, Iowa to Agnes Mary Loeb Fenwick and Arthur St. Clair Fenwick on December 26, 1925. His father's side is rich in Canadian, English and Irish roots and his mother's side French, German and Canadian roots dating back to the early 1700s. A true American blend of history and culture.

During his youth, John attended St. Mary's Catholic School in Iowa until 8th grade. In his 13th and 14th summer, John worked at his father's friend horse ranch. During the Iowa winters, John sold bakery goods by wagon to his neighbors. After 8th grade, John and his family moved to upstate New York and coincidentally, he finished his school days at another St. Mary's Catholic School in Dunkirk, NY. Before officially graduating, he joined the United States Merchant Marines during WW2 in 1943.

Even though he joined to fight for our country before he was 18, his instructors were quick to sense his intellectual and mechanical smarts, superior to most of his peers. He had an opportunity to attend and graduate from Officers Candidate School after the war was over. John strongly and proudly continued his Merchant Marines career until 1947.

After ships and sailing all over the world, a few times, and throughout the Pacific Theater, he returned to New York to marry Emma Lou DeMonte on September 9, 1947. Still young and navigating where to settle in life, they moved to Oklahoma and John worked for Haliburton Oil Company. He and Emma had their first daughter, Sally in 1949. Again, impressing superiors, John was offered a promotion to go work for Shell Oil Company with the catch of moving to Venezuela.

John and Emma welcomed two more children in Venezuela, Susan and David. For almost a decade, John worked for Shell Oil Company until Venezuela's government shut down with the new President of that time in 1958. John and family blindly moved to Key Biscayne, FL in 1958 before purchasing a home in SW Miami in 1959, just outside of the Florida Everglades off Tamiami Trail. September of 1959, they welcomed their youngest daughter, Cindy. John would frequent gold mining in Honduras during the mid 1960s with his best friend Carl and son, David.

From 1968-2001, John successfully ran his own business specializing in marine and land engineering before retiring to take care of Emma who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and passed away in 2003 after 55 years of marriage. While John was always a writer, losing Emma inspired many poems about her that he had printed onto little booklets.

By 2005, at 80 years old, John met Virginia, who was 5 years older than him. Supporting the idea of love and marriage, they secretly wed on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2006. They spent summers together at their cabin on the lake in Georgia and walking the beach of Hutchinson Island. They were happily married for 18 years until she passed away in October 2024 at 104 years old.

By the end of January 2025, John and his little dog, Prince, moved to Keystone Heights with his granddaughter. Over the course of 2025, John and his granddaughter spent a lot of time together compiling writings, making concrete alligators and building birdhouses.

John turned 100 on December 26, 2025… "starting his third 50" and met all the milestones of accomplishments that were important to him. He leaves behind a legacy of wit and inspiration.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings Arthur, Mary, and Robert; his wife, Emma; his second wife, Virginia; his best friend Carl and many other people he called friends over the course of his 100 year life.

John is survived by all four of his children, Sally, David, Susan and Cindy; 12 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. John also leaves behind many friends scattered across the country. He never met a stranger and was always open to helping or hosting anyone in need.

Services are pending and will be published when finalized. Forest Meadows Funeral Home of Gainesville, FL has been entrusted with services. For more information or to send flowers, please visit www.ForestMeadowsFH.com.