John Prince Bessey

John was born on February 12, 1937 in Columbus, Ohio and was the son of the late Kenneth Prince Bessey and Helen (Washburn) Bessey.

John was a 1955 graduate of North High School and a 1959 graduate of The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State John was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, where he made many lifelong friends. A passionate OSU football fan, John rarely missed a home football game for many decades.

Following graduation from college, John worked for the Ohio Bell Telephone Company in Columbus Ohio, a role that allowed him to attend law school at Franklin University in the evenings. John practiced law until pursuing his interest in fine dining with his co-ownership of L’Armagnac, a downtown Columbus restaurant. John personally loved cooking at home as well.

John returned to law and added government and public service to his resume when he became an assistant county prosecutor and assistant city attorney for Columbus. In 1994, John was appointed to be a judge in the Franklin County Courts of Common Pleas where he served until his retirement in 2013.

A very important part of John’s life for the past 33 years has been his marriage to his beloved Rowene (Ro) whom he married in July of 1990. Their time included living in Columbus as well as a move to Vero Beach, Florida.

While in Vero Beach, John volunteered at the Humane Society where he socialized dogs by reading to them and taking them for walks.

John had many interests with two of the most meaningful being his love of reading and time spent in his workshop. He also loved all his furry friends, both their dogs and cats.

John is survived by his wife Ro, three sons from his first marriage, Andrew Prince Bessey (Heather) of Westport, CT, Brian Arthur Bessey (Laurie) of Darien CT, and Spencer John Bessey of Columbus Ohio, and seven grandchildren, Olivia and Owen, Mitchell, Sloane and Marshall, Gwyneth and Chloe.

The family will have visiting hours on Friday, March 24 from 4 to 6 pm at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST, 1740 Zollinger Rd., where a memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 25 at 11 am followed by a reception.