Family and friends of the family are invited to a visitation and celebration of life on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at Vineyard Columbus. Visitation with the family will begin at 4:00 pm and the service will immediately follow at 5:00 pm.
John is survived by his spouse, Mona Doyel, his four children, Nathan (wife Laura), Micah (wife Leandra), Caleb, and Erin (husband Ian Moy), and his brother Chris. He was preceded in death by his father, retired USN Captain Wilbur Doyel, his mother Lois Stiles, and his brother Roger.
John was born in Long Beach, CA on April 26, 1953 and was raised in Norfolk, VA, and Annapolis, MD. He graduated from the Severn School in Annapolis in 1971 and pursued undergraduate studies at Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA, graduating in 1975. He later graduated from Western Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 1979 and pursued post-graduate studies at Denver Seminary.
While at Villanova, John became a Christian and felt called to ministry. He dedicated his professional life to the church, serving as a youth pastor at Arcadia Baptist Church (1979-1981) in Sacramento, CA and Hinson Baptist Church (1981-1985) in Portland, OR. He then worked as a Senior Pastor in Camp Verde, AZ (1985-1989), at the First Baptist Church in Prescott, AZ (1989-1999), and at Karl Road Baptist in Columbus, OH (1999-2005). He later founded 180 Ministries, an organization dedicated to ministering to and providing counseling for men, where he worked until his death.
John loved his family and especially his five grandchildren, Noelle, Josiah, Harper, Audrey, and Bennett. He cherished regular family trips to the Outer Banks where he instructed all family members in the arts of picking blue crabs and body surfing. He was dedicated to supporting his children in their endeavors, attending hundreds of youth soccer games across Arizona and Ohio.
A varsity lacrosse player during his time at Villanova, John loved college athletics. While he relished the success of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, he particularly enjoyed the resurgence of Villanova basketball over the last decade.
Although John's life was rich with blessing, nothing gave him greater joy or strength than his faith. He worked tirelessly to build the ministries of the churches he worked with and was particularly inspired in his later years by his work with 180 ministries and his efforts to restore men's lives through the gospel.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to 180 Ministries would be appreciated. Donations can be made online at https://180recover.com/donation .
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