John Henry Crocker Jr., 72, of Cheboygan passed away at home on Jun 7, 2016, just minutes away from his 73rd birthday.
He was born on Jun 8, 1943 in New Orleans, LA to Lea (Prados) and John Crocker Sr. He graduated from Nicholas High School in New Orleans and furthered his education at Chalmette Community College in Chalmette, LA and at Rets Electronic School in New Orleans where he studied electronics and television repair.
He joined the US Coast Guard in 1964 and was stationed at Granton, CT where he continued his schooling in electronics. He was transferred to Cheboygan in 1965 and served on the USCG Mackinaw. It was there that he met and fell in love with his “Big Angel” Sharon Blaisdell and married her on Sep 19, 1966. Shortly after they married they were transferred to Ketchikan, AK where he completed his service duty in 1968. They returned to New Orleans and he worked for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Company until they made the decision in 1979 to move back north to Cheboygan to raise their two children and co-own Country Corners Store in Riggsville.
In 1991 he graduated 3rd in his class at Northwestern Technological Institute for heating, venting and air conditioning. He worked at Gary’s Plumbing and Heating in Alanson and at Cooper Standard Products in Gaylord, from which he retired in 2005.
He was thankful to be able to live in northern Michigan and enjoyed the beauty that surrounded him, however, he shared his love of the south by making trips to New Orleans and returning with seafood or crawfish and shrimp boils to share with his family and friends.
Some of his favorite pastimes included playing darts with his buddies, golfing, camping, woodworking in his workshop (prior to zipping his fingers off), motorcycle riding with his son and his Gold Wing group (prior to his motorcycle accident in 2005) listening to music, eating New Orleans style southern food, traveling, but most of all, spending time with his grandchildren.
You could often see him, if you didn’t hear him first, around town beating on his “dashboard drums”, singing slightly off key at the top of his lungs while listening to his old time favorites: Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Rod Stewart.
He will forever be remembered as a fun loving husband, dad “Guga”, brother, “Uncle Johnny Boy” and friend: ALWAYS TEASING, laughing and making people smile.
He is survived by his loving wife Sharon; his son, John (Tammy Kirsch) Crocker and their son John IV of Cheboygan; his daughter, Doniel (Brian) Bur and their children, Kevin, Zachary, Matthew, and Alyssa and his grand dog Buster, also of Cheboygan; siblings, Bill (Karen) Crocker of Minot, ND, and Anita (John) Dubbs of Tempe, AZ; and brother in law Willis Lilly of Slidell, LA. He also leaves behind several nieces and npehws, all of whom he loved dearly.
He was preceded in death by his parents and also by his sister, Phyllis Lilly.
Per his wishes, a private family gathering will be held. John was a member of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association and enjoyed volunteering his time to fund raise with them for The Rainbow Connection. Any monetary donations can be made in his memory to this wonderful charity whose mission is to grant wishes to Michigan children with life threatening or terminal illnesses.
Arrangements in care of the Beck Funeral Home.