John A. Medvec, Youngstown, Ohio
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – John A. Medvec, 98, passed away peacefully, Saturday, March 22, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital.
John was born November 24, 1926, on the west side of Youngstown, the son of John S. and Julia (Dzuroff) Medvec. Along with his three sisters, he grew up near Borts Field, now renamed after his friend and former neighbor, George 'Shotgun' Shuba.
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John's family were devoted members of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, where John attended school. He graduated from Chaney High School, where he particularly enjoyed the shop classes.
After graduation he entered the U.S. Navy during WWII. He received medical training on the West Coast and served as a pharmacist's mate third class (PhM3c). He proudly served aboard ship and submarine, as well as at hospitals on the east coast.
When the war ended, John returned to Youngstown. Out of necessity, he suspended the pursuit of a medical career, instead finding employment as a machine shop apprentice at MacKenzie Muffler in Austintown. He quickly advanced to journeyman tool and die maker. When the business closed, he found employment producing precision roll-formed shape tooling at Hynes Industries in Austintown. He retired there, truly a master of his trade.
On October 18, 1952, John married Eleanor Puhalla at Holy Name of Jesus Church. Together, they became charter members of St. Christine Parish, and as lifelong members of the Parish, raised their four children who attended its school and church.
John's lifelong interests included fishing, hunting, baseball, and radio, particularly Ham Radio, at which he excelled. He also enjoyed gardening, amateur winemaking—earning many ribbons at the Canfield Fair—and traveling. John and Eleanor enriched their children's lives with numerous vacations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in their travel trailers, replacing them with larger ones as their children grew. They were active members of the local 'Wagon Wheels' travel trailer club.
John leaves behind to cherish his memory, his sons, Daniel of Boardman, John W. (Suzy) of Canfield and Frank; his daughter, Linda (William) Kuebler of Berlin Center; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren and his sister, Margaret Puhalla.
John was preceded in death by Eleanor, his wife of 63 years; two sisters, Sophie Motosko and Mary Ress and brothers-in-law, Thomas Motosko, Joseph Ress and Leonard Puhalla.
Family and friends are invited to pay their respects from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at St. Christine Church, 3125 S. Schenley Avenue, Youngstown, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.
Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery where John will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in John's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital via https://www.stjude.org/; the donor's preference; or Mass intentions may be made in his name.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home in Youngstown.
A television tribute will air Sunday, March 30 at the following approximate times: 6:27 p.m. on WYTV and 6:58 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Officiant: John Montgomery Arthur, do you, continuing from this day, take James Robert Obergefell to be the love of your life, your eternal partner, your husband? John Montgomery Arthur: I do. Zach Wichter: Hello, and welcome to The Excerpt. I'm Zach Wichter, a reporter at USA TODAY. What you just heard was John Arthur's vows to Jim Obergefell during a wedding ceremony that changed the course of American history. Obergefell and Arthur's fight to get their marriage recognized by their home state of Ohio went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, ultimately paving the way for nationwide marriage equality for same-sex couples. John tragically passed before the ruling, but the couple's story endures as a milestone for the LGBTQ+ community and in American history. Jim Obergefell joins me now to share more about his story. Jim, thanks for joining me. Jim Obergefell: Absolutely, Zach. 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