John J. Fohr

John J. Fohr, 96, of Lopatcong Township, NJ, died peacefully surrounded by family at St. Luke’s Warren on October 1, 2025; as he said, his body was out of warranty and things just didn’t work the way they used to. Born at home in Harmony Township, NJ on June 23, 1929, he was the eldest son of the late John J. Fohr Sr. and Theresa Vargo Fohr, and predeceased by his wife, the former Mildred Kachline, who died in June 2008. John graduated from Phillipsburg High School, Class of 1948, and served in the US Army in Germany during the Korean War as a motor pool driver, enjoying his time traveling through Germany and seeing other places in Europe. He worked at Ingersoll Rand in Phillipsburg until his retirement in December 1991 in several positions, mostly in the bar stock room of the Cameron Division and lastly as an inspector for pumps made for the US Navy. He was also employed by the former A&P in the Hillcrest Mall for several years. In his long retirement, he enjoyed taking many trips to casinos throughout the US and even Canada with his family members, and liked playing the slots. (Although he enjoyed it a lot more when he won!) He was an excellent gardener, having learned much about it as a child from his grandparents John and Amelia Fohr at their farm on Montana Mountain, and also from his Granny Vargo at her home on Lock Street in Phillipsburg, and gave away his vegetables to friends and family. He was a big fan of the New York Giants and the Yankees, and used to attend quite a few local high school and college football games with his late brother Louis. He always had a smile for his family and friends and was quick with a joke, or a bad pun, and loved playing with his many, many nieces and nephews of every generation. He was aware and alert until the end, and took an active interest in the world around him, continuing to read and learn, in particular about science and the discoveries made about space and the universe. As his family said, he was just an all-around nice person. In addition to his parents and wife, John was predeceased by his brothers Louis and Donald, and sisters Margaret (Peg) Woolf, Theresa (Toot) Spence, and Viola Raub. Survivors include his daughter Melody Fohr, sister Esther Shepherd and brother-in-law William, sister Diana Lopresti, brother-in-law Anderson Raub, sisters-in-law Roberta Fohr and Nancy Fohr, cousins Helen Steffel and Irene Segletes, many beloved nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, and great-grand nieces and nephews, and Tibby the Cat. His daughter would ask everyone to just remember her father with a smile. The Finegan Funeral Homes of Phillipsburg & Alpha are coordinating private arrangements.