John William Croy, of Warsaw, passed away at 12:06 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, at Kosciusko Lutheran Hospital of Warsaw at the age of 89.
He was born on Jan. 30, 1935, in Hartford City, to Thelma Estella Wright and Howard Carson Croy. John was a 1953 graduate of Warsaw High School. At the young age of 20, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with a lovely girl by the name of Loretta Ellen Cline. They were married on July 3, 1955, and celebrated 68 years of love and marriage before John passed away. They shared everything in their lives and raised four sons, and later were overjoyed to become grandparents multiple times as well as meeting their great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren!
John was a jack of all trades and over the years he worked at Dalton Foundries in Warsaw, the Free Methodist Publishing House and then worked for himself as the owner and operator of Warsona Printing Company. He loved to do wood crafting projects, was a wonderful oil painter and he even did crafts and home décor with his son in Mentone. He was very good with his hands and detail work and could fix anything! John was definitely a handyman, he was a smart guy and could do whatever he wanted. He worked at the Pillbox Pharmacy in Warsaw where he would fix various items in the store, he had a knack for fixing rolling walkers. John always kept busy and he would go to the homes of people and fix their walkers on site.
Always available for his family, he was a Boy Scout leader when his sons were growing up and was a youth leader at the Warsaw Wesleyan Church. He and his wife, Loretta, also enjoyed time traveling together. He also loved doing mission trips to Haiti and Barbados. He attended First Christian Church of Warsaw and loved sharing his faith with others. John will forever be dearly missed by his friends and especially his family.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Loretta Ellen Croy, Warsaw; three sons, Mike (Sue) Croy, Winona Lake; Timothy (Jacqueline) Croy, Mentone; and Dennis (Barbara) Croy, Fort Wayne. Also surviving are 16 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren; and his sister, Eilene Cook, Warsaw. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Rex Croy in 1990; two brothers, Kenneth and Herman Croy; two sisters, Nilah Nestle and Janice Roberts; and his granddaughter, Angie Marshall.
Friends and family may visit from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw. There will also be an hour of visitation an hour prior to the service on Wednesday.
John’s life will be celebrated with a service at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at Redpath–Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Rev. Matthew Rogers and Rev. Dennis Croy. A graveside service will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Warsaw.
Memorial donations may be directed to American Cancer Society, 5635 W. 96th St., Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46278; to American Diabetes Association, Chicago/Northern IL Office, 55 E. Monroe St., Suite 3420, Chicago, IL 60603.
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.