When he was a young boy his parents divorced and he and his brother Clark moved into The Home for Little Wanderers. It was his job to walk miles to the school house where he had to feed the foxes and light the fire to warm up the classroom.

His father and second wife Katherine brought him to Franklin, NH when they bought and managed The Gateway Inn in West Franklin, NH.

John entered Franklin High School. He worked at Guay’s Garage on Central Street as a mechanic while he attended high school, then at John’s Mansville in Tilton, NH He was then hired as general manager of Prescott Oil and was known to be able to fix or repair anything.

He was a veteran of the Navy during WWII. He served on the USS Philadelphia.

His hobby was rebuilding and restoring Model A Fords. At one time John, son David, and daughter Susie each owned a yellow and black Model A Ford and could be seen driving them in local parades. His last Model A is still preserved and running in Franklin, NH, and is owned by his grandson.

In 2013 John and his son David attended the Honor Flight in Washington where he was honored as a WWII veteran.

In 2014 he received a tribute to his 62-year membership as a Mason. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Franklin Savings Bank, President of the Rotary Club, and a member of the Franklin Outing Club. He was both a member and President of the Board of Trustees at the Franklin Regional Hospital. He was a Mason and Longtime member of the Meridian Lodge No 60 in Franklin, NH.