John C. Hesler, better known as "Zeke", age 76, passed away with loved ones by his side after a battle with cancer.  Zeke was a long time Media resident and is survived by his siblings, Mary Digaetano (Vince), W. Michael Hesler (Carolyn), Margaret Moore, Jeannette Bickel (Glenn) and Patricia Hesler, and 32 nephews, nieces, grand nephews and grand nieces located all over the country whom he loved as his own.  Zeke's life was blessed with many friendships lasting numerous decades.  Zeke was predeceased by his loving partner, Grace Rego, and faithful companion Pete the Cat.

John was an Electrical Engineer gaining his formal education at Spring Garden College in Philadelphia and Widener University in Chester.  Prior to retiring John worked at Wyeth Laboratories in West Chester, PA as an Instrumentation Specialist, and at Lighting Control, Inc. in Aston, PA where he applied for and received his own patent for the Switchmode AC Power Controller in 2004.

As a boy, John liked to take things apart.  By the time he was a teen he was also capable of putting things together.  He became interested in woodworking, electronics and mechanics and dabbled in all these things.  Lots of toys, bicycles, lawnmowers, automobiles, boats and radios came apart and eventually back together, sometimes with improvements.  His father got an old wooden sailboat and the two of them disassembled and rebuilt it.  Thereafter, John's fascination with wooden sailboats bloomed.  For a good part of his life John took apart and rebuilt wooden sailboats and when pestered by friends and relatives he would sail them too. He kept boats in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the Chesapeake.  He later became a member of the Classic Yacht Restoration Guild.  He worked on restoration projects there and later served on its Board of Directors.

While in the Navy in the early 1970s, Zeke visited the Mediterranean, Bermuda and New Brunswick by boat, albeit metal ones provided by the US Navy.  He served on active duty as Interior Communications Technician in charge of the ship's gyro for two years aboard a Salvage/Recovery Tug out of Norfolk.  After Active Duty he served for a few more years in the reserves.

Finding boats too slow, John took up aviation and became a pilot in the 1970s.  He enjoyed flying to distant auctions to pick up things for his growing collection of paraphernalia associated with sports cars, tractor engines and electronic odds and ends.  Because of weight and balance problems, this activity proved too dangerous to continue.

Although he renewed his pilot's license later in life he never flew very often as he decided to buy a farm in upstate Pennsylvania in 1996 and rebuild the house and add other out buildings to keep his growing collection of cars, tractors tools and heavy equipment.  He traveled often from his home in Media to the Tioga County farm in Job's Corners, PA on weekends until he retired at which point he spent considerably more time upstate.  He never did move into the house he was remodeling as it seemed always to be a few months from completion.  He was more content to monkey around with the equipment.

Friends and family are invited to a visitation at Rigby Harting & Hagan Funeral Home on Thursday evening from 6-8 pm. At 8 pm there will be an informal sharing of thoughts, stories, and memories.

Burial services private.

______

Rigby Harting & Hagan Funeral Home
15 E. Fourth St.
Media, PA 19063
www.haganfuneralhome.com