John was born in Hudson Michigan, the third child of Lowell and Juanita Hassenzahl. He was raised on a farm which contributed to his lifelong fascination with figuring out how things worked and the ability to fix them. The Hassenzahl household was filled with music and John enjoyed singing throughout his life, most recently with the Jacksonville First Baptist Church choir.
John loved God, family and country and was extremely proud of serving in the Air Force in Viet Nam. Following his military service, he moved from Michigan to the corporate world of New York with executive positions at Revlon, Conair and Faberge. Capitalizing on their experience and contacts, he and his wife, Deb, then moved into entrepreneurship by purchasing and operating several specialty businesses focused on beauty products in Atlanta, Miami and Jacksonville.
Recently, when asked about his dream job he replied that he was living it. He frequently traveled to China, Hong Kong and Korea and developed strong relationships all over the world. Despite his love of travel, John always enjoyed coming home to his garden or wood shop and spending time with his beloved dogs.
John is survived by his devoted wife Deb, daughters Dawn (John) Woo and Lori (Bill) Christiano, grandchildren Samantha, Willie, Rachel and Lia, sisters Linda (Charlie) Schaffer, Cathy (Brent) Moore, brothers David (Sylvia) Hassenzahl, Phil (Sue) Hassenzahl and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by his family by marriage: Kevin (Andrea) Wade, Jan (Clark) Griffin, nieces Jenna and Sarah , nephew Kevin Jr. and his absolute best friend and neighbor Michele Sahdala.
For the last year of his life, John and Deb were blessed to have been assisted by the amazing people at Community Hospice and Palliative Care. His entire family will be eternally grateful for the loving care and support received from these gifted professionals.
Memorial service will be held on Monday, October 21st at Avondale United Methodist Church, 1651 Talbot Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida, at 10:30 am. Internment will be at Jacksonville National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s name may be directed to Community Hospice Foundation, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257.
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