John Jacob Onofryton

When John Jacob Onofryton walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, his smile, his humor and an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who John was and how he impacted those around him. John was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if John wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. John was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

      John was born on January 4, 1947 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He was the third son of Stephen K. and Mary Onofryton. John was raised in Detroit, Michigan. Those that knew him, growing up on Murray Hill, he was remembered as the boy that the girls always chased but then he would tease the girls. Always ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. He was quite the charmer. While some who knew John might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that John was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

      John was raised with two older brothers, Kenny and Owen. Although, the youngest, John was very accepting and supportive of his family. Loosing his father to brain cancer at the young age of 12 year old, he was always there for his mother, helping her take care of the house, yard and shopping, as his older brothers had already moved away from home. These traits served John well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

      As a young boy, John was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. John was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to play games or participate in other childhood activities. In his spare time he liked baseball and backyard hockey with his best friend Rick McElhaney.

      During his high school years, John responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Henry Ford High School in Night School 1968. John absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For John, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered John a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, John was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, John was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many friends. While growing up, his best friend was Rick McElhaney. Later in life, he became friends with Ray & Bettye Rivero, Bob & Kathy Calderon, Sue & Larry Komernicky, Charlie & Melody Simmons, Jack & Mary Freund (known as the cruising couples), Howard Kinnamon (closest fishing buddy), Bob Amavisca, all his UPS co-workers and many military buddies.

      On November 16, 1968 John married Janet Kathleen King at St. Scholastica Church of Detroit, Michigan. John's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Janet's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. John was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

      John was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For John, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. John's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. John was blessed with two children: daughter, Kimberly and son, Michael. Kimberly, blessed him with two grandsons, Jacob and Jordan. No man was prouder, than he was, of his family.

      John was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was Package Car Driver. He was employed for 36 years at United Parcel Service. John was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. John had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. John's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

      John was an Army veteran. He was in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, 17th Cavalry, F Troop, 1st Platoon from 1968 to 1970, did Basic and AIT training at Fort Knox, spent 11 months in Vietnam and last six months at Fort Hood. John saw action 28 days of the month and drove an Armored Personnel Carrier for nine months of his eleven months in Vietnam. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Specialist 4th Class. He received several awards including a Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Sharpshooter M-16 and Sharpshooter M-14, Army Commendation Medal and his most treasured, Combat Infantry Medal. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

      Because John loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were Arizona sports, Nascar and most of all fishing. John had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. John enjoyed many of those pastimes at his cabin in White Mountain Lake, with friends and family. However, John's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      John derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included baseball in the early years, with all his neighborhood buddies. John was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Nascar Racing ( #99 Carl Edwards) with his son Mike, The Arizona Cardinals and The Coyotes.

      Throughout his life, John was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, John seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with John usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, John was an active member of the Phoenix International Raceway Booster Club, had just started to volunteer at Disabled American Veterans and at a little church by the cabin, Our Lady of Snow.

      Because John was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. John's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. John found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable.

      John was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church for 37 Years. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

      Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, John's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included United Parcel Service Circle of Honor, nearly every year that he was employed and his most treasured military awards.

      John's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, John took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included many cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, East Coast and Canada, enjoyed visiting New York City, visiting friends and family in Michigan, California and family reunions in Canada.

      John was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Nemo, a Beta Fish given to him by his Grandsons on his last Fathers Day., was a best friend for his last 5 weeks.

      When John's retirement finally came in 2011, John handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for John to master. In retirement, he found new pleasure in volunteering at Our Lady of Snow and the Disabled American Veterans. He enjoyed, most of all, helping to make a new home for his daughter Kimberly and grandsons Jacob and Jordan. Even in retirement, John continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

      John Onofryton passed away on July 21, 2013 at home, surrounded by his devoted wife and his two precious children. John fought a courageous battle against Lung Cancer Small Cell Type Stage IV. John was the strength in the family, he always made us feel safe and when asked, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for us. He is survived by his wife Janet, his children Kimberly and Michael, and two grandsons Jacob and Jordan. Services were held at St Joseph's Church. John was laid to rest in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale, Arizona.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to John. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to John Onofryton for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. John was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.

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John Jacob Onofryton, age 66, passed away peacefully at home on July 21, 2013 with his wife and children by his side after a courageous battle with cancer. Cherished husband of forty four years to Janet; proud father of Kimberly and Michael; loving grandfather to Jacob and Jordan; brother to Kenny, who passed away several years ago, and to Owen; beloved Uncle to ten nieces and nephews. John was born January 4, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan to the late Stephen K. and Mary Onofryton. A Vietnam veteran, John served one tour of duty from 1968 to 1970 with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, F Troop, 17th Cavalry. John and Janet were married in 1968 in Detroit where Kimberly and Michael were born. In 1975 the family moved to Phoenix and John began a career at UPS. He retired in 2011 after 36 years of dedicated service. John was an avid fisherman, a hobby that he enthusiastically shared with family and friends. His motto was "catch and release." John also loved NASCAR Racing. His favorite driver was #99 Carl Edwards. He enjoyed going to the race track and watched every race he could on TV with his son, Michael. He was a fan of all Arizona Sport Teams. John loved decorating the Onofryton home for every holiday and for Arizona sporting events. He also decorated his UPS truck. He took great pride in his displays. John had a great personality and a wonderful sense of humor. He was a kind, generous and loving man. These were qualities which made so many people proud to call him friend. Janet was the love of his life. She and his children were precious to him. He cared very much for all his family and they all loved and respected him. John was a member of St. Joseph's Church. He had a strong faith and his family drew great comfort knowing in their sadness that he passed from their loving arms into the welcoming arms of God in Heaven. Janet, Kimberly and Michael wish to express sincere gratitude to devoted family and friends who helped ease the pain of John's long, difficult journey. Special thanks to dedicated staff at John C. Lincoln Hospital, Health South Hospital and Hospice of the Valley. Visitation will be held at Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 E. Greenway Rd, Phoenix on Thursday, July 25 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM with the Rosary at 7:00 PM. Funeral Mass will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 11001 N. 40th Street, Phoenix on Friday, July 26 at 10:00 AM with graveside service and military honors immediately following at Paradise Memorial Gardens, 9300 E. Shea Blvd. Scottsdale. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in memory of John to Disabled American Veterans, 3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076.

Please visit www.shadowmountainmortuary.com to leave a message in the guest book for the family.