John Francis Auchter

March 13, 1928 – August 7, 2020

John Francis Auchter, 92, passed away on Friday August 7th, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. He is survived by his loving wife Jane Guthrie Auchter with whom he shared 66 years of marriage. John is also survived by his seven children: Kathleen A. Leighton, David A. Auchter (Lee), Kenneth A. Auchter (Linda), Ronald A. Auchter (Claire), Joseph A. Auchter, Dorothy A. Mays (Bill) Sandra Barber (Tim), twelve grandchildren and a great-grandchild. John was preceded in death by his sisters Joan A. Kraft & Judith A. Pfarr and his brother Thomas J. Auchter.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Joseph A. Auchter and Dorothy Mueller Auchter and raised in Haddonfield, New Jersey, John graduated from Haddonfield High. John loved playing high-school basketball and was on the team when they won the state championship. In 1950, John graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. When the Korean War broke out later that year, John quickly enlisted in the U.S. Army, was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Artillery and sent to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

He met the love of his life, Jane Guthrie (Janie) on February 22, 1952 at her college sorority open house at Texas Western College, later named the University of Texas El Paso. They had a total of 8 dates (two of those to Catholic mass) before John shipped out to active duty in Pusan, Korea. He and Jane exchanged 56 transpacific love letters. Within two weeks of returning to the U.S. John borrowed his brother Tom’s car and drove from New Jersey to Texas to propose to Jane on July 16, 1953. Once stateside, the letter writing continued between New Jersey and Texas for a sum-total of 256 letters. They were married about a year later on June 19, 1954.

Later in life, John and Jane revisited and chronicled each of the 256 letters in their self-published book, “Love All Ways.” It is an invaluable treasure to their children to read and hear their parents’ voices as they fell in love mostly through the written word.

John went on to receive an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked as a Chemical Engineer for B.F. Goodrich in Ohio and Shell Oil in Houston Texas. Later, his career path included teaching and consulting in Jacksonville, FL; Palo Alto, CA; and Austin, TX. Upon retirement, John and Jane moved to Tampa and eventually Orlando, Florida.

John served as president of the Lakeway Civic Club in Austin and was a founding member of Emmaus Catholic Church in Lakeway Texas. There he served meals for the homeless and was bestowed the “Keep on Truckin’ Award” for getting up at o’dark thirty, driving a church van to pick up donations from restaurants & groceries delivering them safely to the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen & Pantry. John was humble in his giving and few knew he did this service, but oh how proud he was of that award!

John and Jane loved to travel. For the first half century of their marriage, they visited more than 30 states and 20 countries. John was an avid history scholar and delighted in reciting poetry, Bible verses and Shakespeare to his children and grandchildren. He was a humble, unassuming man with strong faith and was a devoted member of the Catholic Church. John was famous for his uniquely non-musical way of singing, and Jane became an excellent soprano as a way of helping to augment his atonal delivery each Sunday morning.

John Auchter leaves a strong legacy of love and fond memories for all who knew him.

A Mass of Christian Burial is being held on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 at 10:00am at St. Joseph Church 1501 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando. Burial at 1:00pm at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery where he will be laid to rest along with Jane. A grand celebration of both John and Jane’s lives to follow at the home of Dorothy & Bill Mays. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to the Diphine Education Center. Checks can be made to Dominican Friars Kenya & mailed to: Sandy Barber 5943 Shadow Creek Dr. Westerville, Ohio 43082