John James Deery

us on December 15, 2017 following a brief illness.

The secret to his long, successful and blessed life was love.

He loved waking up each and every day;

He loved serving in the Army Air Corps during WWII;

He loved his job as a TV technician for RCA and later as the owner of an

appliance sales and repair store;

He loved reading the newspaper every day (especially the Sunday comics);

He loved debating politics or any thorny issue particularly with his older sister

Margaret who taught him that it would take “more than facts to convince her that he

was right”;

He loved taking pictures especially of birds in their natural habitats;

He loved driving his car or flying in a plane whenever he could;

He loved to laugh and always had a twinkle in his eye;

He loved introducing his daughter to new experiences like sailing, skiing, ice-skating and horseback riding when she was growing up;

He loved traveling especially to Ireland;

He loved his grandogs Sparky, Millie and Squirt;

He loved telling a good joke or story and making people smile;

He loved listening to all kinds of music;

He loved fixing things and always had the right tool for any project;

He loved learning about new technology and even how to google;

He loved belting out “O Danny Boy” with his beautiful voice whenever the mood struck;

He loved his recliner chair and watching an episode of Midsomer Murders on Netflix;

He loved a good hot cup of tea and also a Miller High Life every once and awhile;

He loved signing correspondence as “Dod” (i.e. Dear Old Dad);

He loved his many friends at Mt. Vernon Village and the Sandy Springs community;

He loved dispensing pearls of wisdom like it’s “better to make a bad impression, than none at all” whenever the opportunity arose;

He loved sharing his warmth, wit and kindness with everyone he met;

But most of all, he loved his family wholeheartedly and unconditionally, including his loving wife Irene (who predeceased him). He is survived by his daughter Catherine Barshay (Cliff); granddaughters Emily, Allison and Rebecca; sister Margaret Deery

and many nieces and nephews.

His was a life well lived. If you were fortunate to know him or have the privilege of calling him “Dod”, you would have loved him too.

A memorial service will be held February 17, 2017, at 11:30am at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Atlanta Georgia followed by a reception at Mt. Vernon Village. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to The Okefenokee Swamp Park, 5700 OSP Road, Waycross, Georgia 31503 or online at http://okeswamp.com/home/donate-online/