John Rohal Death, Obituary – We are deeply saddened to inform you of the demise of John Rohal, who served Southeast Schools for many years as a janitor and bus driver. John touched the lives of many people throughout his time there. He was the most senior member of the Rohal Clan and its patriarch. It will be pretty difficult for any of us to fill the shoes he has left behind. Our hearts go out to his family during this difficult time. John D. Rohal, age 88, of Edinburg Township, Rootstown, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly on Friday morning, December 2, 2022 at UH Portage Medical Center. He was surrounded by his devoted family.
On February 24, 1934, he was brought into the world by his late parents, John Rohal and Margaret (Potisuk) Rohal. He spent his childhood in Kent and received his high school diploma from Kent Roosevelt in 1951. It was at Kent Roosevelt that he first met his future wife, Patrticia Grove, whom he went on to marry the following year. He participated in football throughout high school, when he was elected team captain and was also quite engaged in a wide variety of singing groups, which ultimately led to his membership in the Akron Derbytown Barbershop Chorus. Over the course of more than 45 years, he was the baritone of The Interludes Barbershop Quartet. Other members of the group included tenor Bill Trumpold, lead Jim Bouterse, and bass Ed Egan.
He is the only member of his quartet that is still alive. He was known to sing to anybody who came to see him, and this will be one of the things that people remember most about him.
In 1960, John and his wife and their family made the move to the farm that John owned in Edinburg. John was known as “Farmer John” because to his passion for organic farming and gardening. After retiring from his position as warehouse manager at Matco Tools, he went to work for Southeast Schools, first as a bus driver and later as a custodian, where he remained for a number of years. Together with his wife Pat, he was a devoted supporter of the 4-H organization.
Pat served as the adviser of the Edinburg Seambusters sewing 4-H club for a total of 42 years before passing away in 2007. They both leave behind a legacy in the form of daughters and granddaughters who serve as advisors for the Seambusters 4-H club, as well as several great grandchildren who are members of the club. In addition, he worked as an umpire for both baseball and softball at St. Peter of the Fields Church in Rootstown, where he was in charge of the Christian Community Development programs. He will be remembered for his good sportsmanship and his ability to encourage everyone who came in contact with him.