John Lee Wogan

John Lee Wogan
October 9, 1950 - June 8, 2023

STOW - John Lee Wogan passed away peacefully on June 8, 2023, with his family by his side. John leaves behind his wife, Cathy Wogan; adopted children, Gina Waligura, Melissa and Scott Newcomer, and Tomy and Taylor Jenkins. Grandchildren are Jared, Adam, and Kara Waligura; Jacob, Gabriel, and Natalie Newcomer; and soon to come into their lives, Baby Charlotte Marie Jenkins. John was so looking forward to meeting little Charlotte. Also left behind are his sister, Barb Greenwald; brother-in-law, Bob Greenwald; brother, Tom Wogan, and many nieces and nephews who admired him. He also left behind many, many friends, all of whom are loved like family. John is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Margaret Wogan, and his nephew, little David Greenwald.

John lived a very full life with many friends who touched his life just as he touched all their lives. He was a carpenter, one of the best, with two published books of his work. His specialty was kitchens, which he would design and install himself. He always worked very efficiently, never wasting time or materials, and his work was precise. He repurposed and recycled as much material as possible. He liked the “old stuff!"

John moved around some in his younger years, living in Stow, Ohio, after graduating from high school and attending Kent State University. From there, he moved to California for a few years, working in the oil fields. He moved on from there to New Hampshire where he started getting into owning properties and remodeling. He was a natural artist and it showed in all the woodworking and designing that he did. He then moved to the mountains in North Carolina where he built his own home and continued to do remodeling work for others. Wherever he lived, he never had trouble finding work because he always achieved excellence and was so honest and respectful with his customers that his reputation grew rapidly. After living in the mountains for several years, he moved to the beach in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina. He told his friends that he would never again live anywhere where there were no palm trees!

John and Cathy met while attending Stow High School. He took her to their senior prom in 1969, but they did not date before or after the prom. John was a little ornery in high school; well, really, his entire life! Cathy, on the other hand, wanted a fairy tale life with a house and white picket fence, a dog, a cat, and children. That was not what John had planned for himself.

In August 2019, John and Cathy reconnected at their 50th year class reunion. They enjoyed each other’s company at all the planned activities, but then afterward, they went their separate ways again. He returned to his palm trees, and she returned to her life as a mother and grandmother. They did, however, decide to keep in touch this time. They began talking on the phone where their affection for each other grew rapidly. It wasn’t long before they began preparations to sell their separate homes and buy one together. John actually agreed to leave his palm trees and move back to Ohio for Cathy! He was well aware of her expectations of family, and she was well aware of his lifestyle, but his love for her and her family was obvious, as was her family’s love for him. Having come full circle, they bought a 1970 ranch home in Stow in 2020, and spent the next 1 ½ to 2 years remodeling it into a beautiful and comfortable place for them to live and for their now mutual family and friends to come visit. John became an important part of his new family very quickly. He related to each member individually and found ways of expressing how important each one was to him. The cards and pictures they made for him when he was sick is a testament to how much his new children and grandchildren loved him.

John and Cathy were married in their beautiful backyard, (which John had designed), on August 21, 2021, with daughter, Melissa, officiating and each family member participating in the ceremony. They took family vacations and had family dinner nights every other Friday.

John and Cathy had just started their life together with hopes of more travels and fun family times, but those hopes were shattered way too soon. He was truly the love of her life, and she will always hold his spirit close to her heart.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held during Labor Day weekend. Details will follow at a later time.