John Howard Staley, of South Mountain, PA, reached the end of his earthly life unexpectedly Friday, March 10, 2023, at 69 years old.
Born on August 6, 1953 to the late Delores Staley of South Mountain, John spent most of his young life with his grandparents, Harold and Mary Staley and helped at their Gulf Station on the mountain.
After graduating from Waynesboro High School in 1972, John took employment with Grove Manufacturing with a supervisory position. Immediately following, John opened his own business, Staley’s Garage, on South Mountain which was in operation until 1991. During his life he held many positions such as Auto Mechanic (Staley’s Garage), Maintenance Tech. (Knouse Foods), Welder (Grove Manufacturing), and many Supervisory positions including, Rotorex, Grove, Benju, Zefer Operations Inc., Nitterhouse (Quality Control), Lowe’s (Delivery), and Letterkenny for the last 19 years.
John’s biggest passion and the job he loved doing most was done at home – farming (bailing hay in 100 degree weather), being outdoors (when it was warm), tinkering around in his shop and garage, working with his hands, playing with his pups, shootin’ Skip on the CB, spending time with his nephew, Dusty, whom he considered his son, and making his companion and the love of his life, Linda of 26 years, laugh. John was the kind of man that would drop whatever he was doing to help a friend in need. In the words of John Staley – “Watch the ice!”
In addition to his nephew, Dustin Caldwell of South Mountain, John is survived by his companion Linda Rhone of the same address; two daughters Stacey (Staley) Hess of Shippensburg; Sandy (Staley) Reihart of Chambersburg; and two grandsons.
In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by a sister, Tonya Caldwell, and his grandparents Harold and Mary Staley.
Services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, March 17, 2023, in Grove-Bowersox Funeral Home, 50 South Broad Street, Waynesboro, with Pastor Lee Daywalt officiating.
Burial will follow in Strang Cemetery, South Mountain, PA.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral services, Friday morning, in the funeral home.
Online condolences may be expressed at the funeral home’s website.
