John Joseph Reedy

John Joseph Reedy, 67, of Middlebury, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, March 15, 2024, at his home with his loving wife by his side. He was born on July 17, 1956, in Terre Haute, to the late Donald A. and Virginia (Trout) Reedy. On June 17, 1978, John married the love of his life, Catherine S. “Cathy” Harris, in Elkhart at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.

John is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Cathy Reedy of Middlebury; son, John (Valerie) Reedy II of West Chester, OH; daughters, Kelly Jean Reedy of Elkhart, and Kimberly A. (Captain Kristopher, USAF) Koll of Cheyenne, WY; grandchildren, Maya, Cora, and Tessa Reedy, all of West Chester, OH, James Anderson, Jr., of Middlebury, and Wolfgang and Rosalind Koll, both of Cheyenne, WY; siblings, Steven, Mark (Glenna), Rose, Christine, and Amy Reedy, and Ginny Chole Miller, all of Terre Haute; and a loving host of extended family, friends, and acquaintances.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his siblings, Donna, Michael, and Jeannie Reedy, and brother-in-law, Steve Miller.

Services for John will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024, at Billings Funeral Home with visitation from 1 PM to 2 PM and a funeral service to immediately follow at 2 PM. Pastor Jeremy Sarber of Billings Funeral Home will officiate. Per the family’s wishes, cremation will follow services.

John worked for EFP in Elkhart for 30 years and went on to retire from Middlebury Community Schools after 15 years of service in July of 2023. In his 45 years of employment, John was proud to say that he only missed one day of work all those years, earning an attendance record plaque he proudly displayed at his home.

John was known as an accomplished Cross-Country, Track, and Road Runner, having won many local road races well into his 40s. Notably, at 36 years old, he was able to run at a time of 14:56 in a 5K, an impressive feat at that age.

In his high school years, John was part of the 1972 Terre Haute North X-C State Championship Team and earned High School National All-American Honors. He went on to run Cross-Country at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac, MI, where he was part of the National Champion 1975 X-C Team, landing 7th place individually in the nation and earning First Team All-American honors.

It should be noted that during his time at Southwestern, John had met the love of his life, Cathy, when her brother, Mark Harris, was a team mate on the Cross-Country team. He had introduced the pair to one another and from there, their love blossomed.

In his later years, John continued to love to talk and run with friends. He enjoyed going on family trips out of state in the summer to run or going out to help and visit local meets where he would mingle with other runners.

In 2019, John had the ultimate honor of being inducted into the Indiana Track and Cross-Country Hall of Fame, as he was a member of the 4x1 Mile Relay High School record setting team. This record had stood for over 30 years. The induction was truly an honor for John to receive and solidified all the hours of hard work he had put into his running career.

In his spare time, John adored travelling to the Smoky Mountains with family, going out to garden, watching his beloved Chicago White Sox and Purdue Boilermakers play, and assisting in learning about his family’s genealogy. It should also be noted that he would share his love for aquarium fish with his grandson, James, creating a special bond between the two.

John will best be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandpa, and friend who was a passionate, determined, and hardworking soul. He, along with all the love and joy he shared, will be dearly missed by those whose hearts he touched throughout his life.

Memorial donations made in John’s honor can be directed to the Elkhart County Humane Society, 54687 Co Rd 19, Bristol, IN 46507.

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