John Allison Groot

July 10, 1928 - September 3, 2016

Among so many things, John was one who loved being outdoors, running, skiing and gardening, a professor and teacher who himself also loved to learn, and a man whose heart was always full of a passion for music. To Phoebe, his wife of fifty-plus years, he was a faithful and loving husband, standing by her side through thirty years of coping with her disability. He was a patient father, listening to Carl and Alison throughout their lives, instructing through both his words and his example. During the early years of marriage, the Groot family moved to Germany where John and Phoebe took administrative and teaching positions in schools for children of those in the military. These years abroad introduced them to new cultures through their music and folk-dancing and opened the eyes of their children to a bigger world. The family later moved to Syracuse, NY, where following John’s grad studies at SU, he then taught both high school and then college chemistry up through his retirement in 1991. He had much joy in teaching.

The music “thread” was always a key part of John’s life. An appreciator of so many genres of music, he also loved to play both sax and clarinet in host of different groups playing jazz, or classical, and in the worship band at Lifebridge Church.

John was a God-fearing person through his whole life, though it wasn’t until his later years that his faith came alive and he unpacked the reality of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. This gave to him a new way to both see and understand the complex and troubled world we live in and a hope for life and eternity with God. The Lifebridge Church community had a significant role in John’s commitment to Christ and growth in his faith.

Phoebe passed away halfway through the San Diego years, and though despite the difficulties, this was mostly a good chapter of their life together. During this chapter, John was enthusiastic about freshly connecting with family across the country, making two circuitous road trips across America just to touch down and see everyone. I smile to picture him playing his horn on his travels, as he did sometimes following a day of driving, in some lonely, beautiful desert spot.

John is survived by his younger brother S. Robert Groot, his daughter Alison and her family, and his son Carl and his family. He was “Gung-Gung” to seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Peace be to his memory.

*A memorial service will be held at Lifebridge Church in Rancho Bernardo at 11:00 AM Sat. Sept 17th, 2016

**In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to either:

-Lifebridge Church, Rancho Bernardo, CA—or to

-Mount Miguel Covenant Village benevolence fund, Spring Valley, CA