3338 Death of a friend

John Neff, 72, a former teacher at Upper Arlington High School passed away New Year's Eve of Alzheimer's Disease. His wife and I were in a Bible study group "Harried Housewives," many years ago, and in the 1970s, we occasionally went out together as couples. I saw her at the coffee shop this morning and she told me of his merciful passing. According to the obituary published in the Columbus Dispatch, "John enjoyed his teaching career at Upper Arlington High School, where he taught Sophomore English, Psychology, and Humanities, and was the Alcohol/Drug Educator for the district the last seven years of his career. While at UAHS, he developed a course "The Bible as Lit" . . . He was very active at the Hilltop Church of God, where he taught a young adult Sunday school class and was active in the State Board of Christian Education for that church. Since 1983, he had been actively involved at First Community Church, where he taught adult education classes, served on the Adult Education Council, and Spiritual Searcher Committee, serving as Chair at different times of each, and was a member of the Board of Church and Ministry for the Central Southeast District of the U.C.C. For 22 years, he was a member of the First Community Church Chancel Choir which was a deep joy in his life. Following his teaching career, he did some light catering and was quite the gourmet cook. He was a man of many talents and was very widely read. . . The last job he had before his illness robbed him of his health was as manager of the Utzinger Memorial Garden at the Farm Science Review, a job he loved very much. He spent many hours in his own green house planting seeds to be replanted into his own garden and yard."

Services were held at FCC on January 3, 2007 with Rev. James Long officiating.