John Edward Overman

Born September 23, 1946 in Zanesville, Ohio; died September 29, 2017 in Seattle.
Survived by Antoinette, his loving wife of 47 years; children, Robert, David Christopher, Gina, Anne Belen (Roy), Thomas (Marla), Jeffrey, John Paul, Dominic, and Alexander; granddaughter, Elsa; sisters, Jane and Susan; and his niece, nephew, and cousins.

John was known for his big heart and his bad jokes. His booming voice that could go Bing Crosby at the drop of a hat, and his love of a good harmony.

In school, he was not just a band geek, but the Head Band Geek at West Muskingham High. There John played the tuba, which was perhaps the only instrument that could handle his lungs.

He didn't just play music on the sidelines though. He was Varsity in basketball, baseball, and track, and was once banned from a State Fair ball-throwing booth for winning almost all their prizes in one night.

In between summer gigs working on the farms, John was a key player in the school choir, had lead roles in play productions and could be found taking a leadership role in virutally every activity he committed to. At the age of 17 he was already Grangemaster for Timber Run Grange, and by 19 he was tapped to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Unfortunately, he was also tapped by Uncle Sam. John served in the US Navy from 1965 to 1969, and throughout it all he kept on singing, acting as bass for the Blue Jacket Choir during bootcamp and undoubtedly crooning his crewmates to sleep every night.

Little did John know that he would one day come ashore in Seattle and fall in love with an Italian girl at a YMCA dance. (He asked her friend to dance first, but we all make mistakes.) That chance meeting, hundreds of miles from his home in little Zanesville, sparked a connection and love that would last half a century.

After the war, John eventually made his residence in Seattle, and there he did what he always did--he got involved and he got to work.

As a US Letter Carrier, he developed deep friendships with the many residents on his route, organized a collection at Christmas for families in need, and acted as Shop Steward for nearly his entire USPS career.

At that same time, John was heavily involved in activities at St. Alphonsus Parish in Seattle, where two-thirds of his children attended school. Whether it was wrangling the details of the Ballard Best Fest or hollering out numbers at Bingo, John committed himself to creating an amazing experience for everyone who attended these events.

After retirement, living in Port Hadlock, WA, John once again rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He participated in Port Townsend's Histories Mysteries, regularly cast as the local law enforcement for each case, and even got himself into a local indie movie once. But perhaps his most important work was at St. Mary Star of the Sea.

John fully dedicated himself to the church, not just as Head Usher--and not just by singing the longest final note to the Our Father ever recorded in human history--but in his service to the Knights of Columbus where he reached the status of Fourth Degree Knight, and served as an officer.

In his time with the Knights, he put in countless hours, doing all the things the Knights are of course known for-- pancake breakfasts, spaghetti feeds, wearing fancy capes--but he also spearheaded endless fundraising efforts. In everything he did, John always looked out for those who had fallen through the cracks, and those who just needed a hand up.

John's final project, perhaps the one most dear to him, was creating the memorial service for the Unborn Children. An advocate for ProLife, John designed and implemented a ceremony that was not just for the unborn, but for anyone who was vulnerable, forgotten, or whose life was lost too soon.

The Unborn Children memorial became a place for people to go when they needed to meditate, grieve, and hopefully find peace. The program John created was adapted by other parishes, and his passion inspired improvements to the shrine. Because of his dedication, people will be able go to the memorial for generations to come, finding solace and inspiration that will last far beyond what John was able to physically give while on this earth.

Although that boy from a small town in Ohio found himself yanked into naval service, shipped miles away to the big city where he fell in love at a YMCA dance, he eventually made his way back to a small town where neighbors know each other, where they look out for each other.

And everyone knew they could depend on John Overman. Booming voice, bad jokes, and all.

Recitation of The Rosary will be Thursday October 5th at 7 PM at
Hoffner Fisher & Harvey Chapel
508 North 36th St, Seattle 98103
Funeral Mass will be Friday October 6th at 12 PM at
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church
5816 15th Ave NW, Seattle 98107

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