John J.W. Shipley

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John J.W. Shipley of Rahway on November 29, 2024, at the age of 48. John was born on July 2, 1976, in Rahway, NJ to John and Judy Shipley but spent his childhood and high school years in Sussex, NJ.
John wrestled for three years at High Point Regional High School in Sussex, where he placed second in the state in his senior year and fourth in the nation at 171. He continued to wrestle at Montclair State University, where he took eighth in the nation again in his senior year.
John earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education at Montclair State University after his years of working with autistic students at his high school alma mater. He was employed by Verizon for seventeen years as a fiber optics splicer because of his love for both technology and the outdoors. He was an avid golfer, never missing an opportunity to play with his father and his friends. He was so proud of his amazing cooking skills and the holiday meals he prepared for his family over the years. But his greatest source of pride and joy were his children. John had a great ability to make others smile and his sense of humor will be greatly missed. And while John is no longer physically with us, his spirit and courage will live on in the love, laughter, and memories we shared together.
John was predeceased by his beloved mother, Judy Werbeck Shipley.
He is survived by his two children, John (LJ) and Corinne; his loving father, John Shipley; and his three devoted sisters: Jill O'Connell, Virginia Shipley, and Tara Shipley, who adored their little brother and were "there for him" until the end. He also leaves behind nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles, whose lives he touched deeply.