John was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 28, 1936. He graduated from Cathedral Prep in 1954 and served in the United States Marine Corps. He received an Engineering Degree from Villanova University School of Engineering in 1958, studied Business Administration at Old Dominion University and received a Master’s of Business Administration degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. John worked in the Food Industry most of his career serving as Vice President of several companies, most notably, Lawry’s Foods of Los Angeles where he was Vice President of Operations and Corporate Secretary.
He served in civic functions as Area Director of the ACES program (Americans for Competitive Enterprise) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a member of the Hampden Township Pennsylvania Planning Commission, and Rotary Member in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Independence, Missouri.
He was outstanding in athletics, and John won the City of Erie Junior Men’s tennis championship in 1951, the City and County high school tennis championships in 1954, played on two state championship basketball teams, was an all-city football player, leading hitter on the baseball team, and three-year starter and co-captain of the Villanova University baseball team. He signed a professional baseball contract with the Detroit Tigers and played for the Durham Bulls, Erie Sailors, and Valdosta Florida Tigers. He was inducted into the Cathedral Prep High School Hall of Fame and Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
He was a member of Saint Mary Cathedral in Austin Texas where he was a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Seniors Ministry member and served on the Pastoral Advisory Committee. Private family services will be held in Austin, Texas. Condolences may be directed to cookwaldenfuneralhome.com
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