John passed away very recently in CA due to pancreatic cancer. There will be a memorial service on March 28, 2019. I will post more details if they become available..
What a kind and gentle soul. Always first to send a note or recognize one from his past trail of friendships. He will be missed by those far and wide he has drawn together with kindness and profession of faith. Prayers if comfort and peace for his loving family. Resting in the arms of his Savior.
It has been about a week since our class was notified about the passing of John. My thoughts and prayers are for his wife and family and his many friends to be encouraged. Many very nice thoughts have been shared about John – so deserved. He was absolutely our welcome wagon – happy birthday wisher – encourager – supporter and so much more. John’s happy encouragement will be missed.
When we speak of the death of a friend, we use the term “his passing” or “he passed away.” John passed from this physical life here on earth to his spiritual life in heaven. Just about everyone who knew John has mentioned his great faith. What a testimony! John’s faith was in the Lord Jesus Christ. John was assured by our Lord and His Word that he (John) could do nothing to get to heaven – yet - John is in heaven. He is in heaven because he put his faith and trust in the work that Jesus did on the cross over 2000 years ago. Jesus died for John – for me – and He died for you. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ.
I had the privilege to have several phone conversations with John over the last eight or nine months. We would talk for about an hour or so – then stop when one or both of us got tired of listening to the other. LOL. John loved the Lord, he understood his illness and he was concerned for so many people. He tried his hand at blogging. https://thepowerfulchurch.com/.
I would like to share one of his post. It is titled Fat Babies posted July 18, 2018 by John Weinstein.
“I am not attempting to be the hero of this posting, but can freshly illustrate how correct doctrine leads to godly living. I have a terminal disease and every thought that floods the mind of a person in my situation has come into mine. So, what do I do? I pray because Scripture tells of the doctrine of my adoption as a son, with all of the access to His presence in prayer that brings AND that the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Himself are both interceding for me at this moment. I trust that I will not be the Father’s first mistake in the history of the world because He reigns sovereignly in righteousness, truth and faithfulness AND in His eternal plan and creative acts on my behalf, He has planned my days and made my body for His purposes (Psalm 139). I hope that my faith in Christ will not disappoint, a hope that has encouraged me to purify myself, because He cannot lie, being holy/perfect/unchangeable and Jesus has ascended to The Father and will receive me to Himself by death or Return. There is a firmness in my faith because of the truth of its foundations, the Nature of God, the Person of Christ, the Ministry of The Holy Spirit and the Word of God. . .”
I share these words with you -the Waltrip Class of 1967 – to honor John. He loved you all. God Bless - gbm
Gary. I agree. One could not miss the common thread heard here in these comments. John had his FAITH. He had his FAITH in Jesus Christ. So, I believe that he IS in heaven. Many that have made comments here understand the importance of (our) FAITH. I am beyond thrilled to see the Faith of our classmates as expressed here! And we are not ashamed to claim it. I believe 100% that when we BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ died ON the cross for OUR sins, we are FORGIVEN of our sins AND we are GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE. It’s FREE. Just for the taking. HE died for us!! It’s the ultimate gift. I pray that if you that are reading this and do not have the CONFIDENCE of Eternal Life that you may also receive it. That would be a benefit of John’s death. It will give you such peace. And joy. Then, I would encourage you to get to know the Bible - the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
John, our good friend, I hope to see you at a VERY SPECIAL WALTRIP reunion - one day - in heaven. Won’t you ALL join us? Thank you, John, for being a faithful servant of God. Prayers for your sweet family - until we meet again.
John touched many people in his life and now in his passing to his eternal home. His life was a testimony of his unwavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.It is inspiring to read the encouraging posts of fellow classmates.I pray God's comfort and peace surround his family.
John will be greatly missed by so many. He touched so many of our lives through our Waltrip page; he seemed to always be thinking of others. It was a pleasure to be in many classes with him; he was always kind to everyone. And he had written to me, as well, about his faith in Jesus, His Lord and Savior. What a blessing to read all of the comments about him, and to rejoice together that John is in heaven, where there is no more pain, no more suffering. I thank God for John's teatimony of faith, that even now is touching hearts. I pray that his family will find peace and comfort in their time of loss; our prayers are with them.
I agree with all the above comments about John. And with the fact that this thread is so unashamedly agreeing about the salvation we know in Jesus!
John was a wonderful friend. I knew John from our days at Garden Oaks Elementary School. We had a wonderful friendship in sixth grade when we agreed to survive Mrs. Forsyth! And we carried that friendship through all our days in Black Jr. High and Waltrip. I ran into John a few years back when he was in the workout room at Houston's First Baptist. We had a chance to catch up on our spouses, kids, etc. His warm smile and genuine caring for others was so real. So thankful for John and his testimony. Praying for his family in the days ahead. And thankful that John is now sitting at the feet of Jesus!
I was shocked and saddened to hear John died. He was such a truly nice, good and caring person; a person who enjoyed bringing people together in harmony. He will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to his family and friends. You are all in my thoughts.
John was one of those few people I’ve come across who I don’t recall ever seeing in a foul mood. He laughed easily and was always just pleasant to be around, a relaxed and sweet spirit.
I’m saddened to hear of John’s death but very heartened to read of his fantastic relationship with Christ. Thank you, Gary Manuel, for posting a part of his blog. Clearly, John ran the race and experienced the promised victory.
What a testimony of his faith, & what a tribute to John! Personally, I never knew John. I knew of him, but never met him. But, I was so impressed by his consistency with kind birthday wishes.to everyone. The fact that he cared enough about each of us to reach out & wish us a happy birthday, to spread a little joy, speaks volumes of the person he was. Gary, thank you ever so much for sharing the excerp from his blog. We were all blessed by him. His faith, indeed, was & is a testimony of our Lord Jesus. Thanks be to God for sharing John with us. We have all been blessed to have had him in our lives, no matter how much or how little. He is, indeed, missed. There is no doubt that he rests with Jesus.
Pamela Giblin (Bauerkemper)
What a kind and gentle soul. Always first to send a note or recognize one from his past trail of friendships. He will be missed by those far and wide he has drawn together with kindness and profession of faith. Prayers if comfort and peace for his loving family. Resting in the arms of his Savior.
Gary Manuel
It has been about a week since our class was notified about the passing of John. My thoughts and prayers are for his wife and family and his many friends to be encouraged. Many very nice thoughts have been shared about John – so deserved. He was absolutely our welcome wagon – happy birthday wisher – encourager – supporter and so much more. John’s happy encouragement will be missed.
When we speak of the death of a friend, we use the term “his passing” or “he passed away.” John passed from this physical life here on earth to his spiritual life in heaven. Just about everyone who knew John has mentioned his great faith. What a testimony! John’s faith was in the Lord Jesus Christ. John was assured by our Lord and His Word that he (John) could do nothing to get to heaven – yet - John is in heaven. He is in heaven because he put his faith and trust in the work that Jesus did on the cross over 2000 years ago. Jesus died for John – for me – and He died for you. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ.
I had the privilege to have several phone conversations with John over the last eight or nine months. We would talk for about an hour or so – then stop when one or both of us got tired of listening to the other. LOL. John loved the Lord, he understood his illness and he was concerned for so many people. He tried his hand at blogging. https://thepowerfulchurch.com/.
I would like to share one of his post. It is titled Fat Babies posted July 18, 2018 by John Weinstein.
“I am not attempting to be the hero of this posting, but can freshly illustrate how correct doctrine leads to godly living. I have a terminal disease and every thought that floods the mind of a person in my situation has come into mine. So, what do I do? I pray because Scripture tells of the doctrine of my adoption as a son, with all of the access to His presence in prayer that brings AND that the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Himself are both interceding for me at this moment. I trust that I will not be the Father’s first mistake in the history of the world because He reigns sovereignly in righteousness, truth and faithfulness AND in His eternal plan and creative acts on my behalf, He has planned my days and made my body for His purposes (Psalm 139). I hope that my faith in Christ will not disappoint, a hope that has encouraged me to purify myself, because He cannot lie, being holy/perfect/unchangeable and Jesus has ascended to The Father and will receive me to Himself by death or Return. There is a firmness in my faith because of the truth of its foundations, the Nature of God, the Person of Christ, the Ministry of The Holy Spirit and the Word of God. . .”
I share these words with you -the Waltrip Class of 1967 – to honor John. He loved you all. God Bless - gbm
Pat Clooney (King)
Debbie McCarty (Cabness)
John touched many people in his life and now in his passing to his eternal home. His life was a testimony of his unwavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.It is inspiring to read the encouraging posts of fellow classmates.I pray God's comfort and peace surround his family.Cindy Woods (Berry)
John will be greatly missed by so many. He touched so many of our lives through our Waltrip page; he seemed to always be thinking of others. It was a pleasure to be in many classes with him; he was always kind to everyone. And he had written to me, as well, about his faith in Jesus, His Lord and Savior. What a blessing to read all of the comments about him, and to rejoice together that John is in heaven, where there is no more pain, no more suffering. I thank God for John's teatimony of faith, that even now is touching hearts. I pray that his family will find peace and comfort in their time of loss; our prayers are with them.
Cindy Jones (Morgan)
I agree with all the above comments about John. And with the fact that this thread is so unashamedly agreeing about the salvation we know in Jesus!
John was a wonderful friend. I knew John from our days at Garden Oaks Elementary School. We had a wonderful friendship in sixth grade when we agreed to survive Mrs. Forsyth! And we carried that friendship through all our days in Black Jr. High and Waltrip. I ran into John a few years back when he was in the workout room at Houston's First Baptist. We had a chance to catch up on our spouses, kids, etc. His warm smile and genuine caring for others was so real. So thankful for John and his testimony. Praying for his family in the days ahead. And thankful that John is now sitting at the feet of Jesus!
Linda Shupak (Niederhofer)
So very sorry to hear of John’s passing. Praying for his family and friends! In Jesus’s Name!
Cathy Miller
I was shocked and saddened to hear John died. He was such a truly nice, good and caring person; a person who enjoyed bringing people together in harmony. He will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to his family and friends. You are all in my thoughts.Gil Welch
John was one of those few people I’ve come across who I don’t recall ever seeing in a foul mood. He laughed easily and was always just pleasant to be around, a relaxed and sweet spirit.
I’m saddened to hear of John’s death but very heartened to read of his fantastic relationship with Christ. Thank you, Gary Manuel, for posting a part of his blog. Clearly, John ran the race and experienced the promised victory.
Mary Greer Gibson (Szczepaniak)
What a testimony of his faith, & what a tribute to John! Personally, I never knew John. I knew of him, but never met him. But, I was so impressed by his consistency with kind birthday wishes.to everyone. The fact that he cared enough about each of us to reach out & wish us a happy birthday, to spread a little joy, speaks volumes of the person he was. Gary, thank you ever so much for sharing the excerp from his blog. We were all blessed by him. His faith, indeed, was & is a testimony of our Lord Jesus. Thanks be to God for sharing John with us. We have all been blessed to have had him in our lives, no matter how much or how little. He is, indeed, missed. There is no doubt that he rests with Jesus.
Prayers for his family & his friends.