John Endress

John Robert Endress, 64, of Evansville, died on June 26th at Linda E. White Hospice House. He was born November 7, 1954, to Eugene and Mary (Loehrlein) Endress. John, and all his stories and opinions, will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He was the youngest of five children in a lively and loving family. John graduated from Rex Mundi in 1972 and went on to graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue University. John was a much-loved husband, father, brother, and grandfather. Driven by his gregariousness and intellectual curiosity, John connected with people from all walks of life. John was unflappably positive throughout life, working hard in a career in land reclamation and later running his own environmental consulting firm. He took pride in testing the limits of his own physical abilities,and was known to sometimes overexert himself. He could often be found taking marathon bike rides, playing hours of tennis or basketball, or trying to set new records on machines at the gym. John was adventurous and loved the outdoors, whether it was surveying reclaimed mine land or camping and hiking. He loved visiting the Smoky Mountains, which was also the site of a 2010 accident that left him a quadriplegic. Post-injury, John was as active as possible, while becoming a passionate movie-watcher, and exploring his interest in writing, completing poems, short stories, and a book for his granddaughter. John was an active member of St. Paul’s UCC, where he led youth mission trips and embodied a belief that actions speak louder than words. His accomplishments were varied (and sometimes of questionable validity) but John felt his most important work was being a father and building a strong community of family and close friends. John is survived by his wife Cherry (Mayo); daughter Emily (Joe) and granddaughter Ruth Wambach; son Michael; son Christopher (Samantha); brothers Richard (Josie) Endress and Thom (Cindy) Endress; sister Janet (Rob) Squires; sister-in-law Debra Endress; mother-in-law Virginia Mayo; his uncle, Father James Endress; a large extended family, and lifelong friends who were most importantly all just “family.” He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Steve Endress. Visitation is on June 30th from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The funeral service will be on July 1 at 11:00 AM, preceded by an hour of visitation at 10:00 AM, all at Alexander Funeral Home - North Chapel. John and his family would like to extend a special thank you to those who helped take such good care of John: Dawna, Christy, April, Ali, Annette, Cindy, Easter Seals Rehab, and the Deaconess staffs at 2900 ICU and Linda E. White Hospice House. Additionally, John and his family were appreciative of the many friends and family who offered continuous support in the years after his accident. Donations may be made to: The Linda E. White Hospice House, Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, or St. Paul's United Church of Christ - Michigan Ave. Condolences may be made at www.AlexanderNorthChapel.com.