John Henry Northey Jr.

John Henry Northey, Jr., 2/22/1938 – 10/11/2025
John Henry Northey passed away on October 11, 2025, at the age of 87. Born in Detroit on February 22, 1938, to John and Esther Northey, he lived on the same street in Troy, MI, since age 2.
John was predeceased by his parents and his beloved wife of 51 years, Sandra 'Sandy' Gail Northey. He is survived by his two children, Sarah Galecki and Michael (Marcee) Northey. He was "Papa" to Rachel (Colton) Orr and "Great Papa" to Arya, Theo, and Oakland, who absolutely lit up his life. He is also survived by his brother Don (Carol) Northey and their family.
Drafted into the Army at age 22, John completed basic training at Fort Knox and then served in Panama during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was considered an expert sharpshooter.
As a young man, he joined the Methodist Youth Fellowship and met Sandy at one of their events. They married and built a home on the street where he'd grown up, a place where they raised their children and spent the rest of their lives.
John worked for the Troy School District for 30 years, retiring at age 56. He and Sandy spent the next 20 years doing the things they loved, spending time with family, friends and traveling. His favorite trip was to Australia and New Zealand.
They made many life-long friends participating in bowling leagues and card clubs. John also loved cars, hunting and fishing. His favorite car was his '57 Custom Ford two-door.
One of John's biggest passions was singing Barbershop. In 1989, he joined the Pontiac Waterford Big Chief Chorus. When Michael once asked, "What enjoyment do you get from singing with those old men?" John replied, "I'm one of those old men." Through Barbershop, he and Sandy made lasting friendships, often hosting quartets visiting for shows and traveling for shows themselves, meeting up with friends across the globe. John, along with friends Mike Green, Mike Morrey and Dave Pearcy, formed the quartet, 4 is Enough. John proudly received a Barber shopper of the Year award. John also loved to brag about his daughter and son to anyone who would listen. After Sandy passed, his goldendoodle, Happy, became his closest companion, living up to his name and bringing John immense joy.
Friends may visit with the family at Troy First United Methodist Church on Friday, November 14, at 10:00am, with a memorial service following at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Troy First United Methodist Church, Give - TROY FIRST UMC, 6363 Livernois, Troy, MI 48098. https://www.fumctroy.org/give.html