John David Rybarczyk

John D. Rybarczyk, 61, of Avon Lake, entered into eternal life on March 24, 2024. He was born in Lorain on July 1, 1962, to the late John and Gwen (nee Curtis) Rybarczyk. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Avon Lake where he regularly attended mass with his family.
John was a graduate of Lorain Admiral King High School class of 1980. He excelled academically as well as on the football field and basketball court. He was the varsity starting quarterback for two seasons and played forward for the Admiral's basketball team that competed for the state championship. John returned to Admiral's basketball after graduating, helping coach the Admiral's to the state final four in 1986. He was inducted into the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 as a coach with the 1986 team, and again in 2019 as a player on the 1980 team. John was honorably discharged from the United States Navy after attending the United States Naval Academy.
John was a lifelong learner. He attended John Carroll University, where he extended his football career and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1984. He then attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and graduated with his Juris Doctor in 1987. Upon passing the bar for the State of Ohio, John quickly became a partner at the law firm of Wickens Herzer and Panza. He later became a partner at the law firm of Roetzel and Andress in Cleveland. John was an exceptionally talented legal mind, helping numerous business and nonprofit clients over his 3+ decades as a lawyer. He also took pride in serving his community by volunteering on boards for the Lorain YMCA, the Center for Leadership in Education and Mercy Health Foundation.
John loved being active and outdoors. He grew up playing football and baseball on his grandparents' farm and spent his summers at Oberlin Country Day Camp. He enjoyed hiking in the national parks with Kelley and their friends as well as visiting Rockwell Springs Trout Club. John especially loved golfing at the Elyria Country Club and taking trips to golf courses across the country with his golf buddies. He was an avid Cleveland sports fan and was especially loyal to his Browns.
John was a driven, generous, and loving man who was devoted to his wife, daughters, and sisters. A family man above all else, he loved traveling with his family, exploring new restaurants, and enjoyed hosting family and friends at his backyard pool. John's greatest joy was watching his girls play sports. He took a special interest in volleyball, and was known to his family as the self proclaimed statistician for their games. His quick wit, clever jokes, and charisma will be missed by many.
John is survived by his wife of 28 years Kelley (nee Garcia) Rybarczyk; daughters, Devan Rybarczyk, Tate Rybarczyk, and Kai Rybarczyk of Avon Lake; sisters, Jan Rybarczyk (Pogie) of Amherst, Karen Shawver (Dennis) of Lorain, and Kris Lebrecht of Mount Prospect, IL; nephews Cory and Kyle Shawver and Cole Lebrecht; and several loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents John and Gwen (nee Curtis) Rybarczyk.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's name to the Brain Injury Association of Ohio at https://biaoh.givecloud.co/product/Donation/support-brain-injury-survivors-today or Music on a Mission, 31950 Krebs Rd, Avon Lake, OH 44012.
Family will receive friends for visitation on Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 5:00 - 7:00pm at Busch Funeral Home, 163 Avon Belden Rd., Avon Lake, OH 44012. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, May 10, 2024 at 10:30am at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 32946 Electric Blvd, Avon Lake, OH 44012. www.buschcares.com 440-933-3202