John Stanley Kareski

and friend, died on March 25 after a long battle with cancer. John leaves

behind his devoted and loving parents, Rocky and Janet Rauckhorst of

Merritt Island, Florida, his father Stanley Kareski, of Akron, Ohio, sister

Michele Nemschick, and special nieces Lauren and Lily Nemschick of Cocoa

Beach, Florida, sister Stephanie Frazier, brother Matthew Kareski,

grandmother Virginia Maxine Morris, all of Akron, Ohio, and many

cherished aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

John was born on January 28, 1967 and spent his childhood playing on the

red brick streets of the North Hill section of Akron, Ohio. He was a tender

hearted and adventurous little boy who loved hiking through the woods in

the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, playing little league baseball, and reenacting

World War II battles with his best friends and father. John had a

lifelong love of the ocean and fishing; he taught himself how to play the

guitar and was an avid reader. Those are "WHAT" John liked to do. But

“WHO” John was, was a soul with a rare innocence of spirit and a purity of

heart that made those around him feel more hope in their fellow man.

On May 17, 1987, John was a sailor aboard the USS Stark, FFG-31, when it

was hit by two Iraqi Exocet missiles. Thirty-seven United States Navy

personnel were killed and twenty-one others were wounded. Although John

had no medical training, he cared for the wounded and the dying in the

aftermath of the attack. John carried the sorrow of the horror and suffering

he witnessed on the Stark for the rest of his life. Some sacrificed their lives

on the Stark, and some who survived sacrificed their opportunity to have a

happy, healthy future because of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. John

would want you to be a little kinder, a little gentler, and less judgmental of

the people you may encounter in your life- you never know what their

journey is all about.

A very special thank you to John's health care team: Dr. Timothy O'Hare,

The Cancer Care Center of Brevard, Dr. Germaine Blaine, Dr. Todd

Panarese, Dr. Ravi Shankar, nurses Nita and Chris, and the nurses of

Hospice of Health First. John's family would also like to extend their

gratitude to John's Band of Brothers: Jim, John M., John D., and Devin.

Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John's memory

to HOPE4PTSDVETS.ORG or the American Cancer Society.

"We are as the wings of a butterfly, bound together with the love of God."

"Let us fill a cup and drink to that most noble, ridiculous, laughable,

sublime figure in our Iives...The Young Man Who Was. Let us drink to his

dreams, for they were rainbow-colored; to his appetites, for they were

strong; to his blunders, for they were huge; to his pains for they were

sharp; to his time for it was brief; and to his end, for it was to become one

of us." -Wouk

Condolences may be offered at www.wyliebaxleymerrittisland.com