John Christian Gerken

John was born on February 7, 1964, in Keene, NH, to William E. and Carol A. (Frazier) Gerken. Growing up in Swanzey, he was a 1982 graduate of Monadnock Regional High School. While in high school, he excelled in many sports, including the “hot corner” at third base in baseball.

He met his wife Sheila at Henry David’s working as a busboy and later attended Johnson and Wales College in Rhode Island. He quickly received a job offer from “Le Chefs De France” at Disney World’s Epcot and continued his culinary career at home as the head chef at Monadnock Inn. This led to a lifelong love of hosting and cooking for others.

John always provided for his family. He went on to have many jobs throughout the years: an assistant store manager at Hannaford, a sales consultant for Fafard/Sun Gro, and sales consultant/manager for Enriching Students.

Everyday was started with a cup of coffee with his wife Sheila and his bible studies. His focus in life was helping others by teaching them about the bible and sharing his hope for the future. As a devout Jehovah’s Witness, he loved being with the congregation and always put others before himself.

John could fix anything he set his mind to. He was self-taught and took great pride in taking care of the yard around his home and gardening. He truly loved to learn, even dabbling at maple sugaring.

John loved nature and absorbing the sunshine that surrounded him. Being active was a big part of his life, and he completed many races and triathlons. He was a huge Boston Celtics fan.

He cherished every moment with his family, especially his grandchildren, and was well known for his “Dad jokes” and sense of humor.

He will be greatly missed by many, especially his wife of 42 years, Sheila M. (Ohlson) Gerken of Swanzey; his children Emily Croteau and her husband Fletcher of Nottingham, NH, Alek Ohlson Gerken and his wife Renee of Warwick, RI, Lauren Gerken of Swanzey; his grandchildren Colson Croteau and Willow Croteau; his brothers Michael Gerken and his wife Karen of Superior, CO, Matthew Gerken and his wife Sonja of Saco, ME; his sisters-in-law Sallie Gerken of Swanzey, Cheryld Metcalf of Keene, Karen Lonie and her husband Bryan of Marlborough, NH, Sharon Richardson and her husband Terry of Vernon, VT, Edna Dunton and her husband Doug of Fitzwilliam, NH; his beloved dog Cali; his grand-pups Copper and Daizy; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members. His father William Gerken, mother Carol St. Pierre, step-dad Louis St. Pierre, brother Mark Gerken, and sister-in-law Dawn Murch predeceased him.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 1:00 pm at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 109 Old Homestead Highway (Route 32), Swanzey, NH. All are welcome.

For those who wish, donations may be made in John’s memory directly to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses via jw.org.