I apologize for my immediate family struggling to cope with my sister, Megan Danver, and her death. She passed at 27 years old and so did John Michael. We were all sick with covid in a really bad spot when we got the news of Johns passing. 

I will miss our dirt bike rides in Ocala, being towed on those inner tubes inner tubes getting blasted with water in the face and all the adventures at Wild Waters. I'll never forget treading in the shoreline of the lake and having Uncle Kelly picking us up as kids and chucking us into the water over and over. ☺️

*LeeAnne and Donnie.. I hope you now understand what we were struggling to cope with all those years. We wish you all the love and healing in the world. ⚕️

May You Rest in Peace, cousin !! ❤️‍🔥🤙

Still thinking about you every day, buddy

Hard to believe it's been a year,  but surely an eternity of pain
and heartache that this beautiful family has endured.
My continued condolences, sympathies and prayers for this
family along with the peace that comes with knowing John is 
out of pain... Running, smiling, playing and dancing with angels,
awaiting  his family.  Love and prayers to LeeAnn, Donny and
Stepanie and his entire family.
Bill Lynch

The passing of such a kind soul, too good for this Earth, so our Lord called him home where he is pain free and wrapped in the goodness of heaven and It's glory.  Though his body is no longer with us, his legacy of love and kindess are forever etched in our hearts and mirrored in our minds through the generous smile we remember, the precious times and memories he left us. It is these memories John left with us and sustain  us,  as we learn to live with the loss of his human body.  There really are no words to sufficiently share the feelings and emotions felt by John's passing. Know you and his family are loved by many and life of John has meaning, he left a print on thousands of hearts. There is power and healing in and through our Christian faith and our glorious Jesus Christ. There's more love than you can imagine in this message. Love, Aunt Linda

My most heartfelt condolences go out to the colleagues and acquaintances, extended family members and close friends, on the passing of Mr. Powell. May you feel the devastation in the present, embrace the grief in the turbulent times ahead, and may your wounds heal as time passes. 

Throughout the years as classmates, lake house adventures, video games, movies, Universal, and annoying Steph, our friendship grew. I will always remember John teaching me how to ride a dirt bike. Throughout the years, we rode dirt bikes at the lake house, and I will never forget all the fun we had riding through the layers of sand and the trails. After riding dirt bikes, we would head to the boat for water sports. I will always cherish the time spent wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and driving the Boston Whaler. I will never forget being stuck between John and his Uncle Kelly on kneeboards where I was splashed simultaneously with no way to defend myself from their relentless attacks, while John laughed away at my misery. A staple of every lake house visit was watching John find a new ingenious way to terrorize his poor mother while she was cutting the grass. After a day at the lake house, it was customary measure to play video games and I will always remember John eating his Oreos/chips with his microphone on when he would ask “Guess what I’m eating.” Other great memories with John were Universal trips, midnight premiers, late night Wally World runs, and pranks involving use of turning hazard lights, car horn honking, and raising windshield wipers. John and I had maintained our friendship with one another since kindergarten and I can truly say he was my dearest friend. Above all of the countless memories I have with John, he was such a kindhearted and spirited person who cared about his family and friends more than himself. He always took the time to ask me how I was doing despite us living in different cities for multiple years. During school breaks, we would meet up with all of our friends or John and I would head over to the lake house. I am so thankful to have had a great friendship with John, and I will never see an Oreo, wakeboard, kneeboard, windshield wipers, or hazard lights without thinking about John. You are so dearly missed John, rest in peace my friend.

I first remember knowing John some time in the fifth grade. I'd probably actually known him longer since we both went to MCS since kindergarten but it wasn't until fifth grade that we became friends.


I remember hearing him talking about some online game called RuneScape and it sounded interesting. I asked him about it and before long I had an account of my own set up and we were playing together almost every day after school. We would spend hours talking about which monsters to fight, which quests to complete next, and of course, different strategies to make lots of money in game. Over the years, our shared love of video games would eventually lead us to many other games but RuneScape remained an almost daily topic of conversation for us long after I had stopped playing it. I kept up with the latest updates so we could talk about them and we always enjoyed poking fun at the new ways the developers found to break stuff.


The other game that would become a core part of our friendship was Halo. If I had to guess how many times John and I played through the Halo games together it would have to be somewhere in the hundreds. Some times we would be trying to achieve some new or different challenge but most of the time we just ended up goofing around in some way. A recurring joke was to wait until an unexpected time then shoot the other person just enough to remove their shields because as everyone knows, shields only slow you down.


One of the fun parts about online video gaming is the voice chat. One of John's favorite snacks was Tostitos chips with a Monster energy drink. And of course John never bothered to mute his microhpone so it soon became a tradition for him to proudly say "Guess what I'm about to eat" before the crinkling of the bag and crunching of the chip, or the sound of a can being opened made it obvious.


I know I'll never be able to see a can of Monster or play Halo without thinking of John.

I remember John as a friend of my son at MCS. He was at our house to play video games and jump on the trampoline, and was always polite, kind, and well behaved. My deepest sympathy to his family.  

It is impossible to process all the memories I have with John. John is, & always will be an important part of my life. Throughout high school, we spent almost every day together. Some of our biggest memories include trips to Universal, adventures to the lake house, our missions during summer storms to get energy drinks, our cross-country practices, pranking each other, Wendy’s & Burger King, movie premieres at midnight, & our trips to Walmart to purchase $5 movies. John clearly loved his family, adventures, playing Xbox, his truck, & Burger King chicken fries. John inspired me to start running, try wakeboarding, & helped me become who I am today. John had a way of pushing those around him out of their comfort zone while simultaneously making sure he was there to encourage them along the way. To me, the little memories are the most valuable. John loved naming things declaring my first car the 'Derekmobile' and loved removing my gas cap & turning on my hazard lights daily. Johns’ energy was incredibly contagious, & sometimes he would get into a habit that he loved so much that I would eventually adopt it as well. I will never see a box of Fettuccini Alfredo ever again without thinking about John; he loved that stuff & was indescribably hooked on it one summer. Every day, sometimes several times a day, we each would make our own boxes following John's precise method to cook it. One summer, we would play Xbox every night. Playing video games works up quite the appetite, & John happened to LOVE Oreos, but only with chocolate filling. I always knew when John would eat his Oreos because he wouldn't mute his microphone, & he would just crunch every single one of his Oreos loudly over the microphone to mess with me. He found a way to make everything fun & was able to make a simple cookie memorable. It's things like that that made John… John & will always remind me of how lucky I was to know him, & how blessed I was to call him my friend. The world will miss you, John. 

I met John while playing soccer. He was tireless, relentless, and one of the nicest guys you could meet. Playing against him frustrated me to no end. Playing with him on the same team was just the opposite, I never worried, because he had my back. On the soccer field your true character shows. The kind of man John was, he never quit, and kept a cool head when everything was going wrong. He'd give his all for his team, for his family. Good men like John are more of what we need in this world, and we are lessened for his loss. We have memories of him to cherish, and that is enough. I am glad I had the chance to know John, may he rest in peace. 

After reading the messages from family and friends, and watching the service, it's obvious that John was a wonderful young man. I'm sorry I did not get a chance to know him. The support from JFRD was also very touching. My deepest sympathy to Donny, LeeAnne, Stephanie, and the rest of his family and friends.

Know many care and are saddened by your loss. As parents we don't expect to bury our children. But God knows best.  He gave John a good life, with a good family and opportunities to excel in all he did.  The family must now continue to live their lives in a way that they will see John again in eternity. I pray fervently for the family to find strength, encouragement and understanding. 
Avis B. 

John was such a fine young man!  We are happy he was friends with Derek and part of our life.   Our prayers and thoughts are with you.  


When I look back on life, you’re there. I have had the privilege of knowing you almost 28 years and I am grateful for all of them. I will miss our talks, seeing you riding up on the boat or your bike at the lake, hearing your laugh, meeting for lunch, your encouragements, your sweet, loving, and kind presence. I’m not quite sure what life is supposed to look like with you not in it, but I promise to keep your spirit alive within me and my boys. I love you John and every ounce of me aches to say goodbye to you. 

We are thankful that we could  see the service this morning.   It was wonderful to hear the stories of John's life.  He was a wonderful man and greatly loved.  We are sorry that we didn't know him better.  It is hard to be so far away when we want to be together.   You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Jim

I worked with John at the Julington Creek Publix. He was always willing to help anyone out and always had a smile on his face. He was on a bowling team for a fundraiser the store held raising money for MDA. He broke the news to me that he was trying to get in the fire station and he would have to leave Publix. I was sad to see him leave, but very proud of him for following in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter. He would still come in to shop at the store and I’d see him occasionally and right after he started training, he explained to me that he was going to have to learn all the streets around town. I have no idea why it didn’t occur to me before that moment how much firefighters had to know the city’s street names and know the different routes everywhere, but it made perfect sense. I haven’t seen John in a while, but I remember the last time I heard from him, Stephanie was scheduled to close at work and she wasn’t at work and wasn’t answering her phone. When I went in my phone to get a hold of Stephanie, I realized I still had Johns phone number. I texted John to get a hold of Stephanie. Just like always, John was willing to help figure it out. It ended up being a misunderstanding with her schedule, but he got a hold of her and let me know. 
Even though we weren’t super close and it had been a long time since I talked to John, it’s a huge loss to hear that he is no longer with us. My heart goes out to the Powell family and his fight fighter community he’s leaving behind. ❤️

John was one of the most kindest, gentle, well-mannered persons
anyone could ever meet.  My having been able to know this young man from the day he was born was a true blessing and honor for 
anyone and everyone.
John was the product of his beautiful and loving family.  Just like
his entire family that has served our community with dignity, honor and dedication.  All he ever wanted to do was to follow in his dad and grandfather's footsteps as firemen.  John dearly loved his
family.  John worked for me on several occasions doing electrical
work and I constantly had to slow him down as he was making the
rest of us look as if we were standing still.  My family sends our
condolences and deepest sympathies to the Powell family and 
we pray they find peace in knowing he is in heaven with his new job as one of God's Angels.  May God bless his family, friends
and all that knew this beautiful young man.   RIP John Michael!!!  

John was one of the first individuals I met the first day of recruit school when we started with JFRD. Always has a smile on his face and one of the nicest persons you’ll ever meet. John you will be missed Brother. Rest In Peace, watch over us all from above until we meet again. 

Donny,Leann, Stephanie 
We wanted to let you know how saddened we are for your loss. We watched John Michael grow from a fun loving boy at the lake  to a grown man that  had made many accomplishments and I know you all are proud of him.  Hold on to your memories. Please accept our sincere condolences for the loss of John Michael. Praying for you all. 

Peggy, Jimmy, Ms. Libby 

It’s been a while. I didn’t know you well except for that week we spent together at the RV rally with our grandparents in Maine. That always stuck out to me. I remember your goofy antics and playing on the walkie-talkie’s and somehow ending up on the security channel and making them switch over to another channel 😂 they were so mad. I know your parents and grandparents were proud of you. I’m sorry to hear of your passing brother. :( thank you for your service to the community. 

I am so sorry for your loss. We have made a donation to the Florida Firefighters Safety and Wellness mental health program in John's memory. 

I loved John.  He drove me on Rescue 42 for over a year, but I considered him a friend moreso than a coworker.  Ever since I left there, I’ve been trying to lure him to my current spot to drive me again. I really enjoyed the time we spent together. He was kind, patient, funny, and hardworking; absolutely the perfect guy to spend 24 hours in a truck hauling patients around town with. I’m really missing him already.

I first met John when I transferred to MCS in the 6th grade. While we weren’t really close in our middle school or high school years, we did begin to develop a friendship after graduation. I always looked forward to getting together with him and some of our old friends/classmates when everyone was back in town. As the years went on I came to know John not only as the same goofy kid from my home room class, but as a smart, kind, and gentle person. He was a great friend who genuinely cared for others and I am so grateful to have known him

John was one of the first people to show me around when I was assigned to Station 42. He was kind, soft spoken, friendly. I relieved John on Rescue 42 for a short time. And even in those short exchanges before each shift, his kindness preceded him. He always left the rescue in great shape and would make sure to set me up for success on my shift as best he could. I’d always ask his plans for when he got off shift. I remember one day he told me he was super excited to go to his first concert. I joked with him about being almost 30 and never having gone to a concert. It was supposed to rain and he was worried the show would be cancelled. The next shift he told me the show went on, drizzly and all, and he’d had a great time! He was all smiles. He lit up talking about the show. That’s how I remember John - smiling, friendly.  I am truly saddened by his passing. I pray he is at peace now. I pray for his family’s strength. 

I remember I came to 42 on overtime a few years ago and John met me at the door. He showed me around the station and was very friendly. He had these extremely large pants on him and told me he was going to tac support to get smaller pants. He told me he lost a lot of weight and was determined to keep it off. The next time I worked with him he drove me. He didn’t complain when at 4:30 in the morning we were told to take this lady from  River Garden to baptist downtown. He drove fast and careful, avoided all the bumps and was so smooth in getting us to the hospital that I was able to start an IV en route. John was a good man and I wish more people had his work ethic and personality. 

John’s mother, LeeAnne, is my first cousin, but never having lived in Florida, I only met John a couple of times, including in 1997 (see photo of him on my son’s lap next to Stephanie).  I remember John as being a fun kid, full of energy, with a big smile. From what I know from family, what I read from those who knew him well, and what I see in all the photos, those endearing attributes never left him.  

My wife and I are holding LeeAnne, Donny, and Stephanie in our thoughts and in our hearts as they grieve the loss of their son, John.

I have never felt so far away from my Florida family, as I have this week.  Donny, LeeAnne and Stephanie, we are sending all our love and support to you during this difficult time.


I wish I could be there to lend a hand, a shoulder or even a hug.  We love you all so much.


The memory video that was posted showed the love your family has for one another, and that is what will help in this difficult time.


A random memory to share . . .  
the last time I was in Jacksonville was in the spring of 2018.  We went down to the lake (of course).  Stephanie and John took Susan and I for a boat ride around the lake, bringing back many memories of my failed attempts to keep up with all of you at your water sports.  I am certain John and Stephanie were also thinking about how poor I was at water sports, but they were very kind and didn't bring it up even once.


Love to all of you from the other corner of the map.


- Dave, Cindy, Meg and Drew

John was one of the easiest people to talk to I've ever met. He was quick to greet you with a grin, a joke, and always made sure to ask how things were going.  His smile and laugh were contagious, and he was an all around great guy. He was like family to us, and I will miss him dearly. All our love and prayers.

I always enjoyed talking to John at 10 when he came to visit Chief Powell.  My heart goes out to the Powell family.  
Thoughts and Prayers,
Mike and Nicole Rady

John Michael loved to pick on me at the lake any chance he got and make me eat chocolate covered Oreos.  He also loved riding by on his little motorcycle and beeping the horn at me. He also made me fall off the jet ski last summer. I will miss him and the lake and this world will never be the same. Love you John Michael! 

Just talked with John a few weeks ago at some training we had out at the TA.  He was telling me about his Dad living the retired life.  Glad I got to spend a few moments with this young, aspiring man.  He’ll be missed by all of us.   

I worked with him at station 42 multiple times as a firefighter. He was always the most approachable , helpful, and kind person. Never ever treated anyone different. Me and him both played a lot of the same video games and had a lot in common. You will always be missed brother and never forgotten. 

Where do I even begin? John was my best friend on the face of this earth. We told each other everything. We cried together. We laughed together. We played too many hours of video games together. We had so many big plans for the future. Station 42 won’t be the same without him. I’ll miss him being so hangry that I had to sneak him Oreos and dinner with us on calls. I’ll miss showing up to his house all the time and seeing his goofy smile waiting for me in the garage. I’ll miss him pushing me to be the best I could be. I’ll miss all of his workout tips. He was the kindest, most loving, sweet guy you could ever know. Life will never be the same without him. There’s no one like John.

When John was in EMT school I had the pleasure of him riding all of his rides with me and my captain on R28. Fast forward a few years and I got the chance to have him drive me on multiple occasions on R42. He was always a pleasure to work with, nice kind funny and took his job serious. We had many good days on R42 together. 

Once 25, always 25. You are loved and will be truly missed my friend.

-D Man

John was one of the sweetest and friendliest people I knew and got the opportunity to work with. Every time I saw him he had a smile on his face! When he no longer worked at Publix but came in to shop he still made it a point to check out at my register to say hi and catch up or if he saw me shopping he would shout out my name and wave. He was always so sweet, kind, helpful and funny! I am honored to have known John not only as a co worker at one point but also as Stephanie's younger brother. Getting to know him through the eyes of Stephanie who was always so proud of him was a special thing to experience. He had a Beautiful soul and will be forever missed! 

I will always remember his kind face and his being sent such a message of kindness and compassion for all, particularly his family.  There are no words to describe the loss of such a truly gentle person. I know God chose John to serve him in heaven as an angel. He will live on through his family and work as one of God's special angels looking over all of us left behind. To my family I sent love from the deepest part of my heart and soul.  Forever in my heart.  Aunt Linda 

My deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of John Michael. No words can express the loss you are all feeling at this time. May we all find comfort thru our Lord at this time of loss and sorrow.Psalm 34:18..The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.


I worked with John and Stephanie at Publix. Every day we worked together he managed to make me laugh and sneak in pranks. He was such a joy to be around and made work fun. I especially enjoyed his ability to get someone’s phone and take plenty of bad photos! He was always so kind, nice, and would do anything you asked of him. I am so honored to have known him and watch him pursue his dream career. 

I am so incredibly saddened by the loss of John. I had the absolute pleasure of working with him and Stephanie at Publix in  our younger years. John was just one of the sweetest and kindest people. He always laughed at jokes and had a light-heartedness about him. He was a joy to work with! He was one of the few I could ask to go get shopping carts off of the lot, and he wouldn’t disappear! He was a kind and gentle soul that will be missed by many. I can only imagine how much he helped and enjoyed his emergency response departments as it was always his dream to be apart of. He was one that I knew I could always count on, and that is something about him I will always remember. 

So sorry, John was a sweet , respectful man worked with him at Publix it was great and fun. We will miss you John prayers to your family. 

To describe John, is to describe one of the nicest people to ever walk this earth. I had the pleasure of knowing John not only as my friend’s brother but also as a coworker at Publix. He was friendly, hardworking and fun loving, with an ease about him that made you instantly want to be his friend. As Stephanie’s little brother, there was also a playfulness to him that always made for good times. He would often steal his sister’s phone to send me funny pictures of her! 


Even after John left Publix, he always made sure to stop by the customer service desk to say Hi and catch up. We would often talk about the different meals he was going to be cooking for his family or firehouse, and new recipes he should try. John had a smile and kindness to him that was infectious to all, and he always made time for everyone he came across. He truly was one of this nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and the world is a little less bright without him in it. 


John was a great guy. I worked with him at Publix and he was one of my favorite people I ever worked with. He was a part of “the Johns” I think were 5 of us named John on the stock crew at one time. We spent a lot of evenings together working closing shifts which were full of good times, conversations, and laughter. He was a very caring, kind hearted guy who will certainly be missed by all. 

We are so sorry for your loss, just breaks our hearts.  Praying for all of you!  
Love Spencer, Melissa, Aliyah, & Nehemiah ♥️

Steph, Donny, LeeAnne, and family,
I'm so sorry for your loss. I will always remember John for his kind and adventurous spirit. Loved seeing you all together at the lake over Thanksgiving this year. I cherish those memories. Love you all! 
Courtney

OBITUARY

John Michael Powell

February 8, 1994 – January 16, 2022

Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home

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