John Crake Aves, 80 years old, died peacefully on Sunday, August 7, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina after living with Alzheimer's disease for thirteen years. John was born in East Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 5, 1942, and graduated from East Grand Rapids High School. He earned a BA in English from Albion College, where he met the love of his life, Melanie Treynor. Melanie and John were married on August 1, 1964, in Big Rapids, Michigan. After John's Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2009, Melanie cared for John in their South Carolina home. Melanie and John enjoyed traveling, boating, art, writing, and hiking together.
After serving as a naval officer during the Vietnam War from 1966-69, John had a distinguished career in advertising, public relations, and book publishing with his Grand Rapids-based firm, Aves Inc. He was active in the Grand Rapids community, serving on the boards of Kendall College of Art and Design, the Red Cross, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Opera Grand Rapids, and the Black Educational Excellence Program. He also served on the board of Irvine, California-based Tropitone Furniture, managing Tropitone's acquisition of Veneman Furniture. John and Melanie raised their family in East Grand Rapids and lived in Newport Beach, California, and Macatawa, Michigan, before finally moving to Fort Mill, South Carolina.
John's favorite place to be was on the water and he grew up boating on Lake Michigan. John and Melanie bought a sailboat before they owned a house, and their best family vacations were spent sailing. John lived in awe of beauty and saw it everywhere -- on the water, in flowers and landscapes, in architecture, paintings, and music. He celebrated all that beauty with his photography and pottery-making and poetry writing. He also enjoyed playing classical guitar and playing with his fox terriers. He was a member of Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, and later Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, and was an adamant believer in mutual acceptance of all faiths and backgrounds. He loved to quote the late Fountain Street minister Duncan Littlefair's favorite psalm: "This is indeed a day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be grateful."
John is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Melanie Aves; by his daughters, Pirrie Bingham (Martin), Amy Challenger (Lynn), and Alison Aves (Brandon Wagner); by his eight grandchildren: Wesley, John, and Benjamin Bingham; Thomas, Nicholas, and Amelia Challenger; and Elaine and Oliver Wagner; and by his stepsister, Karen Schermer. John was predeceased by his sister Ann Martin; stepbrother, Chris Brown; and parents, Wesley and Helen Aves.
Local service will be held at Myers Park Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC, Friday, August 19th at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests a donation to Memory and Movement of Charlotte https://www.mmclt.org/donate/, Sun City Strong! Team for the Alzheimer's Association https://tinyurl.com/4sm5craz, or the Renew Montessori Program at the Adult Enrichment Centers https://www.adultenrichmentcenters.org/support-aec/donate/.
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