John Arthur Sepp

John Arthur Sepp passed away on January 27, 2020 in Winston-Salem, NC at the age of 86. He was born in Elizabeth, NJ in 1933. Inspired by his sea-loving family, John joined the Merchant Marines in 1948 after graduating high school.

In 1954, he enlisted in the United States Army and was accepted into the highly-competitive and highly-regarded Third Infantry Regiment, headquartered at Fort Myer, VA. John was chosen to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a duty in which he took much pride.

He went on to attend the University of Miami, where he received his BA in Industrial Management and Engineering in 1961. While in Florida he worked part-time at the National Hurricane Center, which was then located in Coral Gables. John began his engineering career in 1961 with Western Electric (now AT&T) in New York as a planning/industrial engineer.

He was promoted many times over the years, ultimately moving into senior management where he led staff at locations across the United States including Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Internationally, his work took him to Asia where he represented AT&T to foreign governments in the region, including China and Thailand.

During his career, John earned the nickname “The Whirlwind” because of his ability to move large, complex projects to conclusion quickly and effectively. In retirement, his value to the company was reflected in their continuing to work with him as a consultant for a number of years.

John’s hobbies reflected his sharp engineer’s mind and talent for solving difficult problems. He built clocks, created wood furniture, and could fix almost anything.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar W. Sepp and Mae Helen Sepp; brother, Oscar; and sister, Gloria. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 64 years, Pat; sons, Michael (Valerie) Sepp and Pete (Cecilia) Sepp; granddaughter, Heather Sepp; brother, George “Dave” (Gloria) Sepp; and many nieces, nephews, and loved ones.

The funeral mass will be held Wednesday, February 5th at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Winston-Salem. The family will welcome friends at a reception at Frank Vogler & Sons Funeral Home, Clemmons at 12:15 PM. John will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the American Heart Association (http://bit.ly/JohnSepp) or the American Diabetes Association (http://bit.ly/DonateJohnSepp).