John Edwin Stauffer, Sr.

The Lord called and welcomed our beloved John Edwin Stauffer Sr. (83) home on February 25, 2024, at his home of over 50 years in Bowie, Md. Having Parkinson's Disease; being diagnosed in 2012 and never complained or questioned. He persevered and endured it bravely, like a champion and true hero that he was.  He was born in Lancaster, PA. on April 27,1940 to Dr. Harold E and Amelia (Peg) Fenninger Stauffer. John was the devoted loving husband of Mary Jane Royer Stauffer and dedicated loving father of John and Stacey Stauffer. John is survived by his loving dedicated wife, Mary Jane who took care of him at home and his caring loving daughter Stacey who also helped care for him.  John is survived by a sister Mrs. Jean Marie Stauffer Niemeyer and her husband Dr. Richard Niemeyer of Lancaster, Pa.  He was preceded by his parents, a sister Judith (Judy) Ann Stauffer Scott, his son John E. Stauffer Jr. and daughter in law Joan Fox-Stauffer.  He married his high school sweetheart, Mary Jane and celebrated 62 years of marriage on September 2, 2023. He grew up in New Holland and Leola, Pa. He graduated from Upper Leacock High School in 1958, where he played on the basketball team. 

The description of John in the 1958 Leolette, the Upper Leacock yearbook:

       Proud owner of a customized '54 Olds.....often seen at War Memorial.....member of 

       the varsity five...."It's a winner" ......will be a mechanic.

He had mechanical ability at a young age, a God given natural talent and enjoyed working on cars. He also, had an interest in working on and wanting to fly planes, which lead him to being a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Miami Florida in 1959. In High School he belonged to The Road Deacons Car Club and won several racing trophies. Mary Jane, being the flag girl. His love and passion for cars, continued in life, going to car shows and races; anything from VW Bug Outs to Nascar Daytona 500 races. He joined his daughter, Stacey one year to drive around The Daytona track in the parade laps at The Rolex 24 Hour Race. Being a car person, he took his V8 Engine out of his 1956 Corvette and put it in his 57 Chevy, which he took all the family vacations in. 

Early in his United Airlines career when there were layoffs, he worked at Freeway Airport and for Melvin Motors as a mechanic before establishing his own business, Metrics Unlimited, Inc. Metrics Unlimited was a foreign car auto shop, specializing primarily in Volkswagen Bugs/Cars. He was able to diagnose car problems over the phone. He trained neighborhood kids, hired church members and trained work study students from Bowie High School at his Metrics Unlimited business. Some of his employees called him, "Boss, The Boss or The Bossman." Many of whom come to thank him for teaching them a skill that helped them with their own families now and have helped them save a lot of money. Also, a friend of his son's recently came by to thank him for taking him along when he and his son, John went fishing, letting him help out at the shop and to tell him that to this day, he prays with his family the way he remembers that John would pray when he ate over for dinner. 

He established his business; Metrics Unlimited, Inc. in 1971, in business for over 40 years.

He retired from United Airlines after 38 years. Worked as Lead Airline Mechanic, and Lead in the Auto Shop. Winning the safety award in the Auto Shop at DCA: Washington National Airport. Early in his career he also worked at New York International, LaGuardia in New Jersey, Baltimore Washington International, and Washington Dulles International Airport.  Having to work shift work at times and while being on night shifts, he would sacrifice his sleep by resting in the car at the RFK Stadium parking lot before the Redskins game would start, so he and Mary Jane could be there at the game to watch their daughter cheer.  When new planes and updates would come in, he would be sent for training in Chicago. He was able to tell you what type of plane it was by the sound of the engine.

He owned and sold Homelite Fisher-Pierce Bearcat engine parts for 4 cycle outboard boats, on the side of his Metrics Unlimited business.

 

He had his Private Pilot license, loved to fly and work on his own plane. Taking the wings off and bringing it to his house to work on. 

He served in the Air Force Reserves. 

He grew up riding horses, being in horse shows which his grandmother Stauffer would make he and his sisters costumes for. He also, barrel raced horses. When he barrel raced, he was sponsored by Glicks Trailers in Leola, Pa. He helped build the horse barn growing up at his parent's home. He started building furniture in high school. He grew up hunting and fishing with his own father, Dr. H.E Stauffer and would like to go to Saw Creek; a Hunting and Fishing Club/Lodge in Poconos Pa.  A passion that continued on in his life taking trips with his own family and friends. Hunting trips to Wyoming, Canada for Bear, and Alaska where he got a Caribou. There in Alaska, he also went fly fishing, something his dad taught him growing up.   He loved being on the water on his boat, fishing, crabbing, or camping with his family, and friends. He loved the outdoors and hunting.  He enjoyed riding his 4-wheeler out to his deer stand. He was a member of many Hunting and Fishing Clubs. He liked to read Outdoor Wildlife Magazines.  If he was at the beach, or going out fishing, he would always have his weather radio on. 

He enjoyed being hardworking and was always busy with all kinds of different projects, whether it was gutting a bathroom, building a coy pond, a new deck, a fireplace with brick chimney. or putting a new roof with some help on the house. He was also, always working on maintenance things to keep things looking and working like new. Maintenance things like repairing, and repainting something or winterizing his boat. He could fix and fabricate anything. He was very innovative and also, liked to build things, whether he saw an idea in a magazine or not, he would build it himself, like the Air Compressor with a VW horn, upright Snowplow/Boat Mover Machine, and converting a VW Bug into a Baja Bug. He built the Air Compressor from a 1969 VW Bug motor using a Volks Air Kit. It still works and is in use at the shop today. The stand-up Snowplow/Boat Mover Machine was built out of a gear box with two Ford flywheels and two Ford starters. One button on the left made it move forward and the button on the right went in reverse. It ran off a standard 12-volt battery. He saw the Baja Bug in the Volkswagen Magazines, he liked to read, and then he converted a VW Bug into a Baja Bug; for his daughter when she was 16. He then, enjoyed trailering it to VW Bug Out events, so she could drag race, and at times he brought some parts to sell from his business at the swap meet.  A dedicated fun-loving Dad who built John and Stacey a minibike with a lawn mower engine and brought home inner tubes from airplane tires to go tubing with in the Ocean, at the beach. He enjoyed taking his son John, to Motorcross races and listening to his wife play the piano. He was a family man and always there for them. Having a servant's heart, he enjoyed helping people and giving of himself.

A member of Mount Oak United Methodist Church since he and his wife, Mary Jane moved to the area in the mid 1960s.

As a member of Mount Oak United Methodist Church, he served on the Board of Trustees, enjoyed fellowship at the Wednesday night dinners, attended bible studies, being a part of the men's group, helped sell Christmas trees and played on the Mt. Oak softball team. He also, could be found doing volunteer repair projects there at the church.  A born-again Chrisitan, who loved the Lord. He enjoyed reading his bible. 

Beyond all his helpfulness, sharing his many gifted talents, and skills, for us it was about just the special person that he was, that meant so much that, we loved so much.  To him, it was about the simple things that mattered to him most in life, God, faith, family and friendships. He lived his life of faith in the salvation God provides through Jesus Christ. 

John 3:16

What a blessing he was to us!  You will always be missed, and always be in our hearts. We love you with all our heart!

We will see you again, as we know the Lord God's promise and our salvation. A life lived in the Lord, never dies but has everlasting life. 

We don't know what we are going to do without him because he has always been present and just his presence, made everything okay in the world. 

 

This song is dedicated to you; Well Done - The Afters - Worship video with lyrics.

Service will be held at a later time.