John Donald Pace

John D. Pace, 86, of New Bern, NC and formerly of Florham Park, NJ passed away peacefully at the ARC in Jacksonville, NC on November 27th, 2021 following a long illness. He was born in New York, NY, to Thomas A. Pace and Helena A. Pace (nee Gallo), where he attended Saint Jerome's Catholic Elementary School and Midwood High School in Brooklyn. While in High School, he shot competitively with the school rifle team. After High School he moved to New Jersey, where he met his loving spouse of more than 64 years Diane P. Pace (nee Dolan). He is survived by his spouse Diane, of New Bern and three children, John T. Pace of New Bern, NC, James D. Pace (spouse Barbara) of Morris Plains, NJ, and Joseph P. Pace (spouse Hilary) of Roseville, CA. He is survived by his grandson Preston J. Pace of Roseville, CA. He is also survived by his brother Thomas J. Pace of North Bellmore, NY and sister Anne Amburgey of Fishkill, NY. He was predeceased in death by his parents.

John owned and operated an auto repair facility in South Orange, NJ for many years. Following the sale of his business, he then worked in real estate in Morris County, NJ, before moving on to AAA of Florham Park, NJ where he retired.

After living in Florham Park for more than thirty years, retirement brought John and Diane to New Bern where he enjoyed Trap and Target Shooting and model railroading. They both shared a love and passion for aviation flying their Cessna 172, attending air shows, and spending time with friends especially those who enjoyed aviation. They both enjoyed travelling together to new destinations in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The family will receive visitors on Friday, December 3, 2021 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Cotten Funeral Home and Crematory. A burial will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John's honor to Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Donations can be made by mail in Donation Processing, Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD, 21741, by phone at 1-800-708-7644 or online at michaeljfox.org.

Cotten Funeral Home is honored to serve the family and friends of John Donald Pace.