John Vincent Niper, Jr., 73, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully at the home of his daughter on Thursday, May, 2024 at 4:08 pm, where he had been courageously battling some ongoing health issues. He was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on October 12, 1950 to the late John and Mildred (Cordwell) Niper, Sr. Along with his parents, John is preceded in death by his lovely spouse Debra Niper, who passed away in October of 2022, as well as sisters Diane Terwillger and Barbara, Kathy and Judy Niper, and grandsons Brandon Mooney and Johnathan Cochran.

Surviving is his son, Jason (Caryssa) Long; his daughter, Brandi (Jason) Newman and his stepdaughter, Tefanie Lanham; his sister, Hope McCarty;16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren; as well as a host of loving extended family and good friends.

John worked in RV manufacturing most of his life including putting in several years at Creation Windows. While John was no stranger to hard work, his life was defined by the sum of so many other things and accomplishments, and all would agree that he lived that life to the fullest.

He was a very proud veteran of the U.S. Army, where he served as a senior specialist in the motor pool of the V Corps, stationed in Fulda, Germany. He took great pride in his service with the Army and in his country as well. Without a doubt, John was decidedly NOT afraid to show his patriotism.

John was also a registered descendent of the Blackfoot Nation of Indigenous American Peoples that inhabited the Great Plains and into Canada many, many years ago. It is believed that John was a descendant of Crowfoot (I'aspo Mixik'a, 1830 - 1890), who became Chief of the Siksika First Nation.

John loved to work on cars (since he did that in the Army), was a huge fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins Football Teams (go figure), take long, peaceful and thought provoking walks to collect his thoughts or to simply get his mind right, and to spend time with his abundant collection of grand and great grandchildren, whom he adored. When it was time for John to just relax and unwind, he relished his "me" time in front of the TV, where he would always try to catch episodes of Bonanza and The Rifleman. All agreed that Westerns were his favorite programs to watch but everyone also joked that they weren't quite sure if he rooted for the "Cowboys" or the "Indians". In the end, the qualities that all could agree on that were the core of John's values were his Christian beliefs, family ties and his willingness to help others whenever he was able.

In accordance with John's wishes, cremation has taken place. Currently, no immediate services have been scheduled and arrangements are being made for military honors and burial at a National Cemetery. Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart have been assisting the family.