John R Scheets

John R. Scheets, 86, of Elkhart, IN died on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at Elkhart General Hospital.

John was born January 17, 1937, in Elkhart to the late John H. and F. Irene (Rhoads) Scheets.

On September 25, 1955, in Elkhart, John married his high school sweetheart, Cherrie L. Mann.  She survives along with a daughter, Lori (Jeff) Bradley of Cassopolis, MI; two sons, Patrick (Kathleen) Scheets of Warsaw, IN; and Jon “Rob” Scheets of Avon, IN; four grandchildren: Julie (Jon) Bisceglia, Jonathan (Stephanie) Scheets, Dorien (Bart) Orduno and Joseph Scheets; and one great grandchild, Jenna Bisceglia.

With a career in banking that spanned nearly 40 years, John took great pleasure helping aspiring business owners reach their dreams, with beloved Elkhart steakhouse (Heinnies) being one of many examples. He was an equally passionate philanthropist & civic volunteer, especially locally, serving C.A.P.S., scouting, Elkhart Jazz Festival, Optimist, among many others.   After retirement, he spent several years doing consulting work in the financial field. He enjoyed both playing & watching golf, and especially jazz music.  A huge Chicago sports fan, he was a season ticket holder to both Bears and Notre Dame football.

John embodied the work hard/play hard spirit, and respected others with a similar mindset. He would often tackle challenging home projects on the weekends or after a long day at his regular job. Conversely, he possessed a charming, charismatic, larger than life personality and was the life of the party to whom all walks of life were drawn, especially at his own “Cheers” – Casey’s, and countless jazz cruises. He truly tried to make everyone feel special in his presence.  Before all else was his family, especially his grandchildren, all of whom he adored immeasurably.

He touched the lives of many and will be regarded as a true Elkhart icon.

Visitation will be held on Monday, October 2, 2023, from 10:00 am until the hour of the service at 12:00 pm, all at Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home.  Michael Kendall, a lay minister with the United Methodist Church will officiate and burial will be in Rice Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in memory of John may be made to Child and Parent Services (C.A.P.S.) 1000 W. Hively Ave. Elkhart, IN 46517.

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