John L Clarke

John is survived by Debbie, his beloved wife of 27 years, his cherished daughter, Lyndsey, his devoted brother Robert and his wife LeighAnn, his nephews, Brandon and Sean, as well as his constant companions and best friends, his Carolina Dogs, Hannah and Sadie, and his daughter’s cat, Stolas. He is also survived by many extended family members.

John worked for K. Hovnanian Homes for over 27 years, working his way up to Senior Community Construction Manager. He was highly recognized by his peers and received numerous top honor awards.

They had a joke at work when John was not available and his coworkers were in crisis over a decision. They would write in big print on the blackboard, WWJCD, meaning, “What would John Clarke do? They really looked up to him. Many say that he was the hardest worker they’ve ever met. It’s so sad that after all his years of devotion to his career, he missed out on his retirement dream of getting a camper and traveling our country with his family.

John was a huge fan of the Grateful Dead, and attended many of their concerts. One of his best memories was when he and Debbie traveled to Cancun and were able to attend 4 Dead & Co. concerts on the beach.

He was so inspired by Jerry Garcia that he started playing the guitar, at which he excelled. He had a singing voice that was like no other. He and Debbie also loved to go to the shooting range at Fort Dix in Cream Ridge for target shooting.

John’s daughter, who was the apple of his eye, was diagnosed with type one diabetes as an infant. He took a huge part in her care and tried to make her life happy, in spite of her extremely difficult medical condition. He spent his yearly vacations taking Debbie & Lyndsey to Disney, so that his daughter could have magical experiences.

John was a devoted husband, father, uncle, & brother, who was also his best friend. He will be greatly missed by many.

In lieu of flowers, donations in John's memory may be sent to Breathrough T1D (Please see link below)

To leave online condolences and fond memories of John for the Clarke family, please visit www.shinnfuneralhome.com