John Louis Vargo Sr.

John Louis (Jack) Vargo February 28, 1932 - November 5, 2022. We are sad to announce the passing of our dad, Jack, on Saturday, November 5, 2022 in Marietta, GA. Jack is the beloved husband of Muriel (deceased) and father of Jacqueline Teague (husband Harris) and John Vargo, Jr. (wife Kalee). He is Grand-pere of Leah (20) and Caroline Teague (18) and of John III (21), Andrew (18), and Owen Vargo (15). Jack is the dear brother of Shirley Fritzsche and her husband, Bill (both deceased) and of Millie Horn and her husband, Ron (deceased.) He is the fond uncle to their children Bill Fritzsche (deceased), Sandy Fritzsche Hayden, Douglas Horn, Barbara Horn Horsey and their families, as well as brother-in-law and uncle to Muriel’s sister, Marilyn, her husband, Ronnie (deceased), and their children. Jack is a good friend to his children’s in-laws, Jonye and Deane Briggs and Betty and Jim Teague, with whom he spent many holidays and special times these last thirty years.

Born to Jeanette and Louis Vargo and raised in Cleveland, Dad graduated from Cleveland Heights High School. He earned his degree in architecture from Western Reserve University (now CWRU), where he met our mom, also a student there. Dad worked as an architect in Cleveland for his entire career. He especially enjoyed his involvement in projects that built, expanded, or restored some of Cleveland’s cultural institutions of which he was an ardent supporter. After our mom passed away in 2002 and in his early retirement, Dad continued to live in our family home in East Cleveland, nurturing his beautiful garden and his neighborhood friendships. He walked every day, sometimes twice a day, and was a friend to all who lived in the community, including the neighborhood doggies.

In 2016, Dad moved to Marietta, GA to be closer to John and his family of busy, fun-loving boys. He spent many Saturdays at baseball and basketball games, many evenings at school orchestra concerts, and many weekend afternoons at John and Kalee’s watching The Ohio State Football team usually win. Dad was a kind and gentle person. He had lifelong friends from Cleveland and from his and Mom’s short time in the US Army, as well as new friends in Georgia. He was a steward of nature and the environment, known for his compost pile, organic gardening, and planting of native specimens to restore the neighborhood’s wooded spaces. He had a curious mind and read voraciously and deeply. He played the piano every day for most of his life and was affectionately known as The Piano Man among the residents at his retirement community who sang along and reminisced to his 1930s and Big Band era piano repertoire. Most of all, Dad was a loving husband, a great dad, and a wonderful human. In his quiet and warm way, he made a huge contribution to each community he graced, his ninety years very well-lived. His presence will be greatly missed and our memories of him greatly cherished.