John Joseph Horn, Jr.
John Joseph Horn, Jr., known to his friends and family as “Jack” to differentiate him from his grandfather and father of the same name, was a father, husband, grandfather, novelist, poet, raconteur, Marine, bar owner, personnel manager, and stained glass teacher. He passed away on November 4, 2022 at age 91 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after four tough months of declining health.
During his long life, he was most proud of his daughters, Kim and Deb. He would almost immediately inform any new acquaintance, including doctors, nurses, and neighbors, that his youngest daughter is a nurse who is now studying for her MSN as a nurse practitioner and the oldest daughter has a Ph.D. in engineering, so she is no dummy either. He made sure his girls had been in every state on the East Coast by the time they graduated high school, he showed up to all their tennis matches, and avoided traveling for work so he could be with his family.
He loved to tell stories of his 12 years in the Marine Corps and how he met the love of his life when she was outside her apartment in Mission Bay, San Diego washing her car. Many other stories described his summers in Caledonia PA as a kid catching rattle snakes, as a Marine recruiter on college campuses in TN, GA, AL, SC, and FL in the early 50s, going to Borneo, Okinawa, Hong Kong, and Japan in the late 50s as a Marine, and having drinks with Martina Navratilova and Virginia Wade in the 70s.
He instructed classes on making stained glass lamps in his shop in York, Pa., in the early 80s. As a result, his daughters will inherit multitudes of beautiful window hangings, lamps, jewelry boxes, and stained glass planters. Besides stained glass, his other creative endeavors included writing incredibly sad poems and exciting spy novels. The stained glass shop wasn’t his only business. When he was in his late 30s, he left his personnel manager position at National Central Bank in York PA and bought a country beer bar and named it “Pub on the Trail” since it was on the Susquehanna Trail. Years later, he opened a personnel agency. In his 60s, he worked for what is now BAE Systems in York PA training customers to drive tanks.
His greatest love was Betty (Elizabeth) Horn, who was buried six years ago on their 55th wedding anniversary. Every day for his first year after her death, he went to the Chattanooga National Cemetery and talked to her and told her “I’ll see you soon!” Eventually, a warm-hearted veterinarian in Soddy Daisy introduced him to an aging German Shepherd named Savage, and the two were inseparable for the next four years. His trips to the National Cemetery became less frequent, but when he went, he always took Savage along in his Ford Flex to see Betty. His daughters will take solace in his passing knowing that he will be with their mom again.
He leaves behind his daughters Kim Hunt and Debra Horn, Kim’s husband Jim and their three children Alex, Lizzie, and Jenny, and Deb’s son Jack Minehan.
He would be very proud to know that his burial will take place on Nov. 10, which is the Marine Corps birthday. He did not want a visitation or a formal funeral, so a short service will be held at Chattanooga National Cemetery at 11 a.m. this Thursday, Nov. 10, with military honors.
Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services; 4506 Hixson Pike, 423 531-3975.