John R. Nesselroade passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 24, 2024.

He was our family's true north; our fixed point in a world that - inconceivably - will continue to spin without him.

We have been greatly comforted by reminders from his extended family, friends and colleagues that the brilliant, thoughtful, sincere, funny, generous and always kind person who was the center of our universe touched many lives across a wide spectrum of personal and professional relationships.

This site was one of his professional homes online, and we have modified it to tell some of his personal story, and to allow those who knew him to have the opportunity to share their remembrances of him as well. (The site is a bit old and wasn't built for this purpose, so apologies in advance for the scrolling involved.)

If you would like to write something about JRN, please visit THIS LINK to forward your thoughts and any pictures or documents you would like to include, and we will add them to the Tributes page as they are received. 

For those who prefer to send a private message that is not for public posting, please use the Contact the Family page.

If you would like to read JRN's published obituary, it is HERE.

For those interested in knowing more about his career, his curriculum vitae dated January 2023 is HERE.

With love,

Carolyn Nesselroade, Cindy Mirabella and Jen McNeil

* * * * *

THE BEST OF JRN

Some of our family favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The G.O.A.T.

 

THE EARLY YEARS

Humble beginnings. Neither the Rev. John S. nor Emma Nesselroade had the opportunity to attend college, yet they managed to get each of their six children through four years and beyond, producing a business executive, a university professor, a pharmacist, a minister, a doctor and a teacher/minister of music.

JRN's parents, the Rev. John S. and Emma Nesselroade. 

 

Emma with Ed and baby JRN.

 

Emma and John S. with Ed, Dale and JRN. 

 

Ed, JRN, Ken and Dale. The original photo is labeled "My Boys, Rockport, 1946" on the reverse.

David and Nancy came along a bit later!

 

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL & THE U.S. MARINE CORPS

#54 in your Parkersburgh H.S. "Big Red" programs, and #1 in our hearts. 

 

Pvt. JRN, home on leave from the U.S.M.C, prior to completion of Airman School.

 

With his Naval Air Technical Training Airman School Class, December 7, 1954. Pvt. John R. Nesselroade was appointed to U.S.M.C. Private First Class on March 1, 1955 and subsequently to Corporal (April, 1956) and Sergeant (May, 1957). (Hint: He was too tall to fly, thus easy to spot in the back row.) 

 

A LEGENDARY LOVE STORY

John Nesselroade and Carolyn Sue (Boyles) Nesselroade were married for sixty-five years.

They were in the same graduating class at Parkersburg H.S., and met again while attending Marietta College. They fell in love, and married in 1959. Raising two young children while he was finishing graduate programs couldn't have been easy, but they were so complementary, they made it seem effortless (well, maybe except for the teen years).

Presenting Mr. and Mrs. John Nesselroade. July 12, 1959.

 

The groom strikes a pose on their honeymoon.

 

The day of JRN's graduation from Marietta College, 1961.

 

At home in State College, 1970-something.

 

On the U.Va. campus, 2006.

 

On a 50th anniversary celebration trip with the family, San Diego, 2009.

 

At home in Charlottesville, 2019.

 

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

First-time Dad with Cindy.

 

JRN and Carolyn with Cindy.

 

...AND JEN MAKES FOUR!

Cindy with Jen shortly after Jen's birth. The sisters are three years apart to the day, a rarity they have always enjoyed. JRN isn't in this picture, but he took it, and it documents his photographic skills, so we had to include it. 

 

With Cindy and Jen, on what appears to be a picnic at a classic car show ;-)

 

THE OG FOUR

We all loved Grandma and Grandpa Boyles' porch swing, especially in the rain (1967).

 

Genes at work (2009).

 

THE GREATEST GIRL-DAD

The Cynifer. (Cynthia + Jennifer - get it?). The boat that JRN built. From a kit. In the garage in State College.

FWIW, the girls regret their teenage embarrassment over the boat's name and issued sincere apologies in early adulthood.

 

Sitting on the couch talking with JRN was a favorite pasttime. 

 

Exhibit 2. He always made time for his girls, no matter what else was going on.

 

Exhibit 3. We were quite big on couch-sitting.

JRN loved technology, and we remember all four of us laughing over the unpredictable results of using a camera with remote shutter.

 

"BIG GRANDPA"

JRN was considerably taller than Don, the boys' paternal grandfather, so they were dubbed "Big Grandpa" and "Little Grandpa" for easy reference.

Holding Jonathan McNeil. JRN was so thrilled to be a grandfather, and JMan was a happy-go-lucky baby - the apple of his grandfather's eye.

 

Holding Colin McNeil. 

Many years after this picture was taken, JRN loved watching Colin play basketball for Carnegie-Mellon University, attending some games in Pittsburgh and watching the others on his iPad.

 

He grew up rough-housing with his brothers and enjoyed getting down to play at every opportunity.

 

A very patient Grandpa.

This picture reminds us of an incident involving a mail-order dress-up kit purchased for the girls circa 1967-8 that included truly awful "wigs" made of some sort of molded plastic (picture 'Wilma Flintstone' and you're close). We so wish we had a picture of that, too - it was classic JRN.

 

WIth Carolyn and Jen, Jonathan, John and Colin McNeil.

 

THE OG EXPANSION

This was after many takes, but we managed to get the entire family (at the time) in one picture, this time with the timer. JRN with Carolyn, all four McNeils, and Cindy and Tom Mirabella, 2019.

 

Our family grew in 2023 when Jonathan married beautiful Christina. We are so grateful that JRN was able to attend his first grandson's wedding. 

Big Grandpa JRN, Carolyn, Jen, Jonathan, Christina, John, Little Grandpa Don, and Colin with his lovely girlfriend, Abby.

 

 

OUR LIFELONG FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEM

We are truly fortunate to have very close relationships with JRN's first family - his brothers and sister - and their families. Through thick and thin, our big clan of Nesselroade sibs and spouses get together to celebrate or to grieve, to play music, to golf, or just to be together. Here is a small sample of the photographic proof. We wish we had more pictures of the following generation, but we have many memories of great times in large and small groups of the cousins, Cindy and Jen's first friends.

 

John S. & Emma with Ken, JRN, Dale, Ed and Nancy (1978).

Ken, JRN, Dale, John S. and Ed (1978).

 

Ken, David, Ed, Dale, Nancy and JRN (1987)

 

Dale & Pat, Ed & Pauline, JRN & Carolyn, Ken & Elaine, Nancy & Gary, and David & Julianne (1987).

 

Pat passed away at the age of 68 in 2006. She was fearless - THE Aunt who would join the cousins on ANY roller coaster. 

 

Ken, Ed, Nancy, JRN, Dale and David (2009)

 

Ed & Pauline, David & Julianne, Ken & Elaine, Dale & Bonnie, JRN & Carolyn and Nancy & Gary at Dale and Bonnie's wedding (2009).

 

Dale, Ed, Nancy, JRN, Ken and David gathered in 2016 to remember the life of Ed's wife Pauline. "Miss Polly" was full of life and fun, and a cheerleader for her nieces.

 

Elaine passed away in 2017. She was one of the sweetest people that ever walked the Earth, and was loved by everyone who knew her.

 

David, Ken, Dale, Nancy, John and Ed (2019).

 

Nancy & Gary, John & Carolyn, Ken & Dee, David & Julianne, Dale & Bonnie and Ed & Wanda (2019).

 

In 2023, we gathered again to say goodbye to JRN's big brother Ed - Alpha - HIS first and forever friend. We are grateful that they are once again together.