John Godlove, 74, of Mercer, Pennsylvania, passed away May 1, 2025, of natural causes at his Lake Latonka home with his loving wife of 51 years, Cindy Jo (Streb) Godlove, by his side.
Born April 12, 1951, in Sigourney, Iowa, the son of Robert and Corrine (Mahannah) Godlove, John graduated from Mid-Prairie High School in 1969 before earning a double major in business and accounting from Northeast Missouri State (now Truman State University). He and Cindy married on Dec. 1, 1973, at the Little Brown Church in Vale, Nashua, Iowa, and remained together until his passing.
John held fascination in antique objects, most notably “crocks, locks, and rocks,” specifically primitive ceramic crocks, padlocks and keys, and Native American arrowheads. He curated a wildly prosperous antique business with booths and displays at the Oil City Warehouse Mall, the former Schoolhouse Shops, and eBay.
He also spent his lifetime chronicling the Godlove family history somewhat inaccurately. He excelled at poker and knew when “to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em” and had the patent poker face.
A successful Chief Financial Officer, John worked at Ivex Packaging in Grove City for 21 years, retiring in 2011. He was an excellent provider for his family. During this time, he also volunteered with the United Way, Grove City Chamber of Commerce, and Grove City Rotary Club, where particularly enjoyed selling lemonade at the Strawberry Days for fundraisers. He valued his Lake Latonka home, where he created picturesque landscapes. He had an exuberant passion for assisting his loved ones in doing their taxes.
His childhood in Wellman was filled with adventures on Circle Drive, from reenacting cowboys and Indians to daredevil sledding, and many other things that got him into trouble. In his teens, he and his brother assisted in their father’s turkey business, Maplecrest Farms, where they “literally dealt with a lot of bird excrement and was one of the most fowl jobs ever.”
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome in 2008, John remained optimistic, grateful for the support of his care team, over the years including Carol Giangiordano, Michelle Blake, Colleen Mason, Monica Colon, Coolspring Fitness, and Delay the Disease, among others.
Remaining to carry on John’s memory are his wife, Cindy; children: Ross (Becky), Rachel (Brian Braho), and Linden (John Finazzo); grandchildren: Madelyn Braho, Josephine Braho, and Eleanor Braho and Ronen Godlove and Rhett Godlove; brother: Robert (Cyndee) Godlove; sister: Luanne (Daniel) Ford; and nieces: Kristina (Godlove) McClelland and Havala Schumacher. He enjoyed sharing chocolate with the people he loved.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorial donations in John’s memory may be directed to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
