John B. Stork

John B. Stork, age 83, of Media, Pennsylvania, formerly of Philadelphia, passed away peacefully on September 27, 2026, surrounded by the family who loved him beyond measure.

John proudly served his country in the United States Navy, spending months at a time deployed aboard submarines. His time beneath the sea gave him a lifetime of stories, which he was always happy to share when asked. His grandkids especially loved hearing about Pop’s adventures aboard the submarine and would often prompt him for another story. Tales of breaking up fights among stir-crazy sailors who had been underwater together a little too long were always a favorite. His wife’s favorite was the time John returned home from a long deployment sporting such an impressive beard that he looked more like a mountain man than a sailor. Those stories, and the voice that told them, will be deeply missed.

But the greatest story of John’s life was Maxine.

John and Maxine (née Hedrick) shared a love story for the ages. They met in true Northeast Philly fashion. Maxine had gone with a girlfriend to visit her boyfriend, who hung out at a local deli where John worked. Somewhere along the way, John and Maxine locked eyes over a hoagie, and that was pretty much that. They dated through his Navy deployments, became engaged at Maxine’s prom, and married a year later. Through all the years that followed, their love story continued.

John’s happiest times were spent with his wife and the family they built together. He loved the ocean, and really, just about any body of water, along with camping, fishing, and crabbing. He passed that love on to his daughters, teaching them to camp, fish, crab, and appreciate the ocean as much as he did. Thanks to their dad, all three of his girls can clean a fish like a pro, a somewhat unusual but very useful part of his legacy.

John had a long career in electronics, with security systems becoming his specialty. He had an extraordinary mechanical mind and an ever-curious nature, always wanting to understand how things worked. Within the family, he was simply known as “the Fixer.” Whether it was a television, a car, an appliance, or an entire kitchen or bathroom that needed to be torn apart and rebuilt, John could usually figure it out. There was very little he couldn’t repair, rebuild, or improve. And somehow, more often than anyone could explain, a clothespin found its way into the solution.

That curiosity and love of learning became part of John’s legacy. It can be seen in the generations that followed, in engineers and computer gurus, salespeople and problem-solvers, educators, writers, artists, nurses and doctors. Their paths may be different, but that instinct to ask questions, learn something new, and figure things out can be traced right back to John.

John was the ultimate girl dad, long before being a “girl dad” was a thing. He and Maxine raised three daughters, and while John never had a son of his own, life more than made up for it in the next generation. His grandchildren brought plenty of boys into the family, and John embraced every bit of the noise, chaos, fishing, teasing, and fun that came with them.

Above all else, John was a family man. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, and an enormously proud grandfather and great-grandfather. His family was his world, and there was never any question how much he loved them. In return, Pop was deeply and completely loved.

John was the devoted husband of Maxine (née Hedrick); loving father of Kim Vearling (Steven Coccodrilli), Tammy (the late Andy) Grethen, and Kathy (Alan) Hecht; cherished grandfather of Emily (Chase), Kyle, Eric, Olivia, Ethan, Joel, Alex, Ryan, Bryan, Carson, and Luke; step-grandfather of John and Andrew; and proud great-grandfather of Levi, Noa, and Jesse.

He was predeceased by his two brothers and two sisters.

John leaves behind a family filled with memories, stories, traditions, laughter, and an enormous amount of love. There will always be something that needs fixing, another fishing story to tell, another memory that makes everyone laugh, and another moment when we wish he were here to show us how it’s done.

He was so very loved. He will be so very missed. Forever.

In lieu of flower donations in John’s name can be made to Alzheimer’s association @ www.alz.org

To livestream John’s Service, use link

https://twitter.com/DanjStigale?t=RMMjufVnIUefB2cGFk4bOA&s=01

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