Obituary of John Dunster Kettelle III
John Dunster Kettelle III passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on April 1, 2020. He and his family resided in Phoenixville, Pa., where he was the owner of Phoenixville Automotive Repair.
John’s body failed him, but his faith never did. After battling cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) for two and a half years, his last days were steeped in sweet love with his wife, Susan, and two children, Johnny and Hannah, by his side. Together they were comforted in their strong faith in Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life in Heaven after death. John’s favorite scripture verse is John 3:16-17. Susan held John’s hand as he passed, while Jesus took ahold of his other hand.
John was born July 18, 1963, the fifth of six children. He was named after his father and grandfather. He then passed the family name on to his son. John, the grandson of a Congregational minister, was raised as a Quaker. After meeting his wife, Susan, in 1996 and attending Church of the Savior in Wayne, Pa., John heard the gospel and put his trust in Jesus, becoming a born again Christian. John continued to grow in faith and led his family in the knowledge and devotion to his Lord and Savior, Jesus. John’s desire is that his family and friends come to know the God he fully trusted in and worshipped, allowing him to pass from this world into the loving arms of Jesus. His family attends Calvary Chapel Chester Springs in Exton, Pa.
John was a devoted son to his father, John Dunster Kettelle, Jr; mother, Joanne Lenz Kettelle; stepmother Nancy Senti Kettelle; and parents-in-love Walt and Bonnie (Fowler) Weaver. John grew up in Malvern, Pa., riding bicycles and skateboards, skiing and sailing, and running loose in the woods and fields of his family home. The kids in his neighborhood became lifelong friends. His sisters had horses – but his preferred horsepower was motors and cars. He was known to build impressive hay forts and installed a Tarzan swing in the hay loft. He enjoyed sailing trips around New England with his family and went on cross-country camping and fishing trips. He loved the outdoors – including maintaining his family home’s lawn and caring for its acres of land.
John especially looked forward to visiting his mother’s childhood home farm on Opfer-Lentz Road in Genoa, Ohio. Uncles Walter and Otto had neighboring farms with plenty of room to play and work with all of his cousins. The regular large weeklong family reunions hosted by Aunt Alice and Uncle Nelson were filled with adventures, tractor rides, card games, marbles and home-grown food and cooking -- especially Grandma Anna’s raisin-filled cookies.
He dazzled his teenage peers with his roller skating while he worked as a skate guard at Mountain View Sports Arena in Malvern. He maintained the highest score on the Asteroids game in the snack bar arcade for as long as he worked there. He joined the Colonials ice hockey team as a preteen, and his passion for it continued throughout his life. As an adult, he joined assorted men’s league teams. He coached his son's teams from the time his son was 5 years old. Just 10 weeks before John’s passing, he played ice hockey with his men’s league.
His friends lovingly called him Big John. A strong, powerful player yet a gentle giant, John was kind and jovial and enjoyed keeping ice hockey fun, competitive and fair.
His youthful obsession with all things motor led to a career as an auto mechanic. He started out at Jim's Berwyn Sunoco, then moved to Ike's Automotive and Marine Shop in Paoli, where he stayed for 19 years. In 2017, he fulfilled a dream by opening his own shop, Phoenixville Automotive Repair. His mechanic nickname was Honest John -- because he would tell you the truth and give you choices on what work you wanted to get done. Even as he underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he rarely missed a day of work; it was important to him to keep his customers’ cars safe. Many of his customers became his personal friends. He announced the closure of his shop just one day before he passed.
John met the love of his life, Susan Ruth Weaver, in 1996. They were married in 1998 and moved to their current family home in Phoenixville. They were a perfect match -- dedicated to each other and enjoying their time together. Their children, Johnny IV and Hannah Love, were his greatest joy. John was an engaged parent. Along with his enjoying coaching his son's ice hockey team and their cutting lawns together, he also cheered on his daughter at her lacrosse, soccer games and her singing -- solos at church, the local coffee shop open mic nights and events where she sang the national anthem. He loved taking the kids snowboarding, or just playing in their back yard and pond.
He cherished vacations at Rehoboth Beach with his family. He was the first one to the beach to set up the huge tent, play with the kids in the sand and dive into the water. He enjoyed traveling to see his son play hockey for Liberty University and took Hannah on a special trip to snowboard in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for her sweet 16 celebration just last year.
His prized possession was his 1969 Olds Cutlass convertible. “19XX” is the actual year written on the title. Although it was a little thing, he was thrilled to see the year documented like that. When Susan and John married, they used the Cutlass to go from the Radnor Friends Meeting House to the reception. His groomsmen had a “Just married” sign on the back of the car; it flipped down as they pulled away and read, “Now, it’s half hers.” To this day, the Cutlass is the only car that has remained in the family garage safe from all elements.
He made sure to have a role for each and every niece and nephew in his wedding. They in turn looked at him as if he was a super hero.
John became a true hero in 1999 when he saved a friend’s life during a terrible boating accident on the Hudson River. He was the only man ejected from the boat without serious injury. When he came up from the deep waters, he immediately took a head count and noticed one friend missing. He felt something at his feet and noticed the body of his unconscious friend sinking down through the murky water. He dove deep, pulled his friend up and kept his head above water until rescuers came.
God used John again during a family vacation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina in 2019, when he saw a woman and her very young daughter struggling and about to drown in the rip tide. John got the child, then the mother, to safety. His innate compassion for others was ever present, yet he never wanted attention brought to himself. John loved all people. And he was deeply loved by his family and friends. They will never forget his resilience and strength after his cancer diagnosis. He did not let it define his identity or diminish his love of life. He never stopped working, never lost his sense of humor, and never stopped playing ice hockey.
John had many natural gifts. If you wanted a prize at the fair, he would ask, “Which one?” and promptly win it for you. He was a natural athlete, whether it was playing ice hockey, golf, tennis, backyard games, or beach games. He went from skiing to snowboarding with ease. He amazed everyone by building a full second-story addition onto his family’s Phoenixville home. John completed most of the project himself with the occasional help of friends. And he did it while working full time.
He had a keen ear for words, and was quick to react with his wholesome and amusing wit and humor, and his wife, Susan, was a perfect match for him. If they weren't making each other laugh, they would laugh at themselves. John's favorite goodbye phrase was "Drive fast and take chances." Of course, he was the only one who could drive in reverse up his mother’s long driveway at what seemed like 50 miles an hour.
John was preceded in death by his father, John Dunster Kettelle Jr. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and children, Johnny IV (20) and Hannah Love (17). John is also survived by his mother, Joanne Jean Lenz Kettelle of Malvern; stepmother, Nancy Senti Kettelle of Arlington, Va.; brother Bruce Dunster Kettelle of Trotwood, Ohio; sister Martha Kettelle Sousa of St. Petersburg, Fla.; brother in law, Michael Sousa of Albuquerque, N.M.; sister Rebecca Kettelle (Gerald) Pyne of McLean, Va.; sister Priscilla Kettelle (John) Fosnocht of Malvern; and sister Jennifer Kettelle Blum of Redmond, WA.; 16 nieces and nephews; Emilie (Clay Bedwell) Fosnocht, Anne Fosnocht, Whitney Sousa (JB) Gore, Rachel Sousa, Shaun Sousa, Kevin Pyne, Kyle (Ellie) Pyne, Caitlin Pyne, Elizabeth Blum, Josh Blum, Benjamin Blum, Christopher Wortman, Nadeen Wortman, Natilee Wortman, Levi White, and Jude White, and a great niece, Leona Wortman.
John loved and was loved by his Greenwood family (Kettelle side) Aunt Althea, Uncle Len, and cousins and second cousins originally from Norfolk, Va. John was preceded in death by his cousin Lacinda Lee Greenwood, who also passed from cholangiocarcinoma, in 2019.
The family greatly appreciates all of the prayers and expressions of sympathy they have been receiving during this difficult time, especially all of the support from those at Susan's teaching job at The Charlestown Playhouse, their church family and dear friends. A personal thank you to ‘my posse’; Rebecca Pyne and John Fosnocht, you both embraced us and helped me navigate everything to do with John’s care in the last few years. I could not have managed without your support and wise counsel. I’m forever grateful and love you deeply.
A celebration of John’s life and gratitude service will be held at Calvary Chapel Chester Springs, Exton, on Saturday, August 22, 2020. The memorial reception orignially scheduled has been postponed indefinitely. We will post an update closer to those dates to confirm. All are welcome.
Interment was personal and private with only Susan, Johnny and Hannah, on April 10th at Philadelphia Memorial Park in Frazer, Pa.
All arrangements are being handled by the R. Strunk Funeral Home, Phoenixville, PA. Online condolences can be made at www.rstrunkfuneralhome.com.