John Magary

John was born in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio on May 10,1951 and died September 28, 2025 due to cardiac complications. His parents Catherine and John preceded him in death.

John is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Elaine, son Jake and his wife Jackie, son Connor, and beautiful 3 year old granddaughter Charlotte. He is also survived by his brother, Jeff, godchildren Jamie and Lauren Simpson, and special nieces and nephews Drew, Kara, Patrick, Maggie, Zach and Katie.

John graduated from St. Johns Central high school and earned his BS at OSU and a Masters degree in counseling education from the University of Dayton. John spent his career in service to others as a social worker. He always had a preference for working with the most vulnerable populations. He loved working in mental health, crisis care, and children’s advocacy. His career included work at Gladden Community House, Communities in Schools, Delaware County Juvenile Court, the psychiatric unit at Marion General Hospital, and Behavioral Healthcare Partners. He had a gift for connecting with even the most challenging clients.

John can best be described as humble, generous, unassuming, selfless, compassionate, and unconditional in his love for others. He was a friend to anyone he met and often said he had “that face” that made even strangers approach him to talk. He always saw the humanity in people and had emotional strength in guiding others through the storms of life.

Dedication to family was always his priority. He loved being a father and grandpa. He was the steady center of our family, providing calmness, strength, and resiliency during difficult times. When our sons were young, he attended every soccer, basketball, and football game they ever played and was an enthusiastic photographer on the sidelines. He led their scout troops and baseball teams. He coached a Miracle League team for many years, providing kids with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball. Jake and Connor worked with him, serving as “Buddies” on the team. John brought the fun into our daily lives. He had a great sense of humor and loved being playful. We will always remember John making creative cookie houses for the kids to decorate at Christmas, an annual tradition that spanned 30 years. He made up imaginary friends, “Sammie the Scarecrow” and “Sammie the Snowman” who visited every year and exchanged notes with the boys. Destin was a favorite vacation spot, with hours on the beach making elaborate sand castles. While we had many amazing trips as a family, he loved and embraced the joy of everyday life.

John was a dog lover, with a preference for the neediest pets that required rescuing. He quickly became their “favorite person”. Most cherished were Luke, Daisy, Cassie, Jake, Buddy, and Ellie. He worked with Cassie to become a therapy dog and we had happy experiences as a family making visits to adult day care centers.

John loved kayaking, fishing, and horses. He spent many hours making ceramic chess sets and loved giving them to special people in his life. He enjoyed festivals including Paw Paw (“those are my people”), Doo Dah, Nelsonville, and Mothman…really anything that would allow him to make great memories with friends and family.

John was incredibly proud of his sons and treasured every experience with them. While he enthusiastically celebrated their accomplishments, he was most proud of the kind, loving, compassionate, capable adults they became. He always put the needs of his family before his own. No job was below him; when Elaine lost her position at Mount Carmel in 2009, he took on a third job, which involved transporting bodies for a funeral home. His love multiplied when Jackie became family and Charlotte was born. She brought him tremendous joy and he loved her dearly. He treasured every moment and took nothing for granted.

For Elaine, John was her best friend and the love of her life. While we had many conversations about how difficult our loss would be, our focus was on gratitude for the wonderful life we had together. Nothing was left unsaid or undone. He knew how much he meant to us. It was a life well lived by a man who was well loved.

From our family, we wish to express gratitude for all of the support we have been given from friends and family. You have been our “village”. Special thanks to Elaine’s sister Cheri who has provided life-long love and support including during this most difficult time of loss. We are blessed with incredible neighbors, who have supported the “Grandma and Grandpa” on our court for the past 18 years. Our family would also like to recognize the exceptional team at Riverside Methodist Hospital including Dr. Gorder, Alex (NP), and Sarah (RN) for their clinical expertise and compassionate care to John and our family.

A private church service will be held at the St. Thomas More Newman Center. An open-house gathering will be held on Saturday, November 15th from 1-4 pm to celebrate John’s life and share special memories. The location is the Bonner Barn, Ohio Wildlife Center (9000 Dublin Road, Powell, OH 43065). From the parking lot, take the paved path to the barn. Per John’s wishes, this will be a casual event.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s memory to The Miracle League of Central Ohio (www.miracleleaguecentraloh.org) or PBJ Connections (Equine Therapy, www.pbjconnections.org).