John brought a spark of joy and light to everyone he met. He never hesitated to strike up a conversation with a stranger, treated everyone with the utmost kindness, and was dedicated to helping others in need.
John was born on March 21, 1957, in Levittown to Michael Iskra and Barbara Bodock. He was the second youngest of five siblings: Carol Emper, Michael Iskra, David Iskra, Robert Iskra, and Mary Ellen Wills. John graduated from Neshaminy High School in 1975 and was a lifelong resident of Bucks County.
After high school, John began working in landscaping. A few years later, he went on to work at the U.S. Steel Mill in Fairless Hills. In 1986, he returned to his roots and started his own landscaping company, Iskra Landscaping. In atypical fashion, his business grew solely through word of mouth. He was committed to the quality of his work, and it sustained his business for decades. Over the years, John proudly employed family, friends, and his children, teaching by example and sharing the value of hard work. In Bucks County, you can hardly drive a few miles without coming across a home or property touched by John’s work.
John was a third-generation American of Czechoslovakian heritage. The family surname, Iskra, is Slovak for “spark,” and John embodied that meaning to the fullest. He was known for his work ethic and love of the natural world. There was no plant, animal, or person he didn’t appreciate. He was also known for his can-do attitude, ambition, and problem-solving.
John enjoyed making sandcastles during family summer vacations on LBI, building ambitious igloos on snow days, exploring parks and waterfalls, being a lifelong bowler at Pike Lanes, and most of all, spending time with his granddaughter, Magnolia.
John is survived by his wife, Holly; his daughter, Katrina, fiancé, Justin Morrison; his son, Brandon, and daughter-in-law, Stephanie Iskra; and his granddaughter, Magnolia Iskra.
Visitation will be held at James J. Dougherty Funeral Home, 2200 Trenton Road, Levittown, on Monday, January 5, from 5:00–7:00 PM, and Tuesday, January 6, from 10:00 AM–11:00 AM.
Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the SPCA or Philabundance Food Bank. Additionally, if you would like to help share John’s legacy, please reach out to Brandon, who would be honored and genuinely excited to share a propagation of John’s personal favorite plants. We also encourage you to share written stories or recordings of your favorite memories of John to be shared with his granddaughter and future grandchildren.
