John F. Pettinger

Canandaigua – John F. Pettinger, age 81, passed away unexpectedly at home after a long illness, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carole (Sackett) Pettinger; four children, Glenn (Marilyn) Pettinger, Todd (Laura) Pettinger, Jill Pettinger (Michael "Bill" Hollister) and Steven (Jill) Pettinger; eight grandchildren, Samuel (Carene) Pettinger, Joshua (Jorilee) Pettinger, Tyler Pettinger (Alli Esposito), Kailee and Brianna Hollister, Maggie, Evan and Jesse Pettinger; two great-grandchildren, Ezra and Charlotte; three siblings, Robert (Florence) Pettinger, Carol Vincent and Gail Pettinger; brother-in-law, Kevin Prior; former daughter-in-law, Jackie Trent; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Brian Pettinger in 1988; and two siblings, Doris Prior in 2023 and Richard Pettinger in 2024.
John was born and raised in the Albany area. He spent much of his youth in the Keene Valley region of the Adirondacks, where his parents taught him to hunt and fish at an early age. His childhood consisted of hiking the High Peaks and canoeing the many lakes and streams he was surrounded by. His upbringing fostered an adventurous spirit and love for the outdoors, along with building a hard-work ethic and never give-up attitude he carried with him his entire life. John enjoyed backpacking the High Peaks Region with his daughter and son-in-law. He also enjoyed hunting with family and friends. John spent many hours at his summer camp fishing on lakes in Canada, with family and friends. His passion later in life was elk and mule deer hunting trips to the Rocky Mountains and big game hunts in Africa.
John moved to the Rochester area when he was a young adult, gaining employment as a sheet metal apprentice with Eastman Kodak Company. He opened his own sheet metal fabrication business in the mid 1970's in Canandaigua, and grew the family business, retiring in 2013. John and Carole spent their retirement years traveling and enjoying winters in Florida.
To describe John as a mild-mannered, soft spoken, bashful, easy-going man would be totally inaccurate! John was opinionated, boisterous, stubborn, with a flair for colorful language and many memorable sayings that are not appropriate for print! For all who knew John, they loved him for these qualities and cherished time with him. John loved life. His booming laugh dominated family gatherings, parties, picnics, and any event that involved a crowd. Beneath the hard, loud, and sometimes gruff persona of John was a thoughtful, sincere, caring, kind-hearted, and unconditional-loving man who cherished his wife, sons, daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, more than anything in the world. He was the rock to his immediate family, to his parents in their elder years, to his brother and sisters, and numerous other family members and friends. They could always rely on his strength and tenacity to support them without asking when they needed it most. "To know him was to love him" is a quote that best describes John. He will be dearly missed but joyfully remembered.
A celebration of life gathering will be held Sunday, June 29, from 1-4pm, at the American Legion Post 256, 454 N. Main St., Canandaigua. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Canandaigua. Memorial contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 1344 University Ave., Suite 270, Rochester, NY 14607 or UR Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 300 East River Road, Rochester, NY 14627. Arrangements are by Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc., Canandaigua. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.