John Robert Neumayer

Born on August 4, 1965 in Carroll, Iowa, United States

Passed away on January 10, 2025 in Tampa, Florida, United States

John passed away in the early morning of January 10th, 2025, with his wife by his side, peaceful and in no pain after a year long, up-and-down battle with lung cancer from toxic exposure during his time in the US Army serving in the first Gulf War. His death was very much unexpected but provided peace from the pain. He is survived by his wife Jennifer Neumayer, his son Nick Neumayer, his father Robert Neumayer, sister-in-law Robin Howell, and his nieces and nephews—Emily, Tommy, Harry and Aidan. He is predeceased by his mother Geraldine Neyman and sister Deborah Neumayer.

John was a serious, quiet, responsible, unassuming, determined, private and complex man who loved deeply, held his opinions strongly, had a dry and ironic sense of humor, and who worked hard at what he enjoyed. He travelled all over the US, Europe and the Middle East either through family travel due to his father’s service as a Lt. Colonel in the US Air Force, as an Army service member, on family trips with his former wife and son, as a project manager for IBM in Germany, and as an avid skier, cyclist, SCUBA diver, and other water sport enthusiast. He was an accomplished SCUBA diver, having logged several thousand dives, he was a SCUBA instructor--sometimes teaching in German--and he was a curious and adventurous cave diver. He loved spending time on and beneath the water, and could free-dive deeply, often disappearing into the many crevasses and springs here in the area, and he could hold his breath seemingly forever. He worked with several dive companies in the Nature Coast area of FL and in the Florida Keys. If he wasn't in the water diving, snorkeling, paddle boarding, swimming, boating or exercising at the YMCA or at USA MuayThai, he enjoyed working on his home and helping his neighbors, or he was cruising on his Harley. He loved riding his Harley Streetglide, loved the wind in his hair and sun on his face, and never missed an opportunity for a serendipitous hike around any state or national park along his route.

After graduating high school from Westford Academy in Westford, MA, he then went to trade school for electronics and worked in MA and FL immediately after high school. John then joined the US Army and moved to Germany in 1986 where he was stationed. He deployed from there to serve in the Desert Shield/Desert Storm war. He was Honorably discharged from the Army in August of 1991, earning several service medals, after serving his country for five years. While in Germany, he met and married his former wife Beate, and they had their son, Nick. John did a brief stint owning a bicycle repair shop after leaving the Army, began his career at IBM, he built their family home, and enjoyed SCUBA, lifting, watching his son play soccer, and family travel in the EU. Upon returning to the states in 2015 after confronting several service related health issues, he finally settled in FL where he’d lived at various times in his youth. After looking at hundreds of homes in the Nature Coast area—two out of three of them he owned and lived in briefly then sold—he parlayed that knowledge of the area into his semi-part-time gig as a local real estate agent for Century21. Every outing with John resulted in him saying, “I once looked at a house back here.”

John’s cancer diagnosis was as unexpected as they all are, afflicting him at a time in his life when he’d committed himself to a dry, athletic, and healthy lifestyle and in the midst of a deeply loving and gratifying relationship with Jennifer. He was a virile, athletic man cut down too soon by cancer. Freedom isn’t free, as all service members know, deeply and personally. To all veterans, thank you for your service. If you’re moved to do so, please donate to your choice of cancer or veteran’s charities in John’s name, or to the Fisher House at the Tampa VA, which provides housing for families while their loved one's receive their care.

May John’s early death remind us all to hold our loved ones close and to find peace and make amends with our friends and family. We will all reach our end surrounded only by the love we cultivate in our lives. We’ll look for you, John, in the brilliance of an over-water sunset and in the beautiful possibilities of the open road.

Private services will be held at a future date.