John P. Klear

John P. Klear, 55, of Toledo, Ohio, died on October 20, 2023, while climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. John was born October 13, 1968, in Toledo and graduated from St. Francis de Sales School in 1987, the University of Toledo in 2001, and received his MA degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University in 2003. He married Jenny Gorkowski on December 26, 1998, at the home of his parents, John “Mike” and Gloria Klear. He was a proud father, husband, brother, son, uncle, cousin, friend, mentor and coach. He brought radiant joy and passion to everyone he met. His big smile was contagious and he always brought joy and humor to those around him.

John proudly served his country as a Petty Officer Third Class in the U.S. Navy, aboard the USS Dubuque completing a four year WestPAC tour in Sasebo, Japan where he earned the Good Conduct Award, National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon for meritorious service. A devoted and loving father and husband, John was a man of many talents, from brewing beer and making wine to playing the guitar and maintaining his home in the Old West End. He was a deeply curious person, and was always learning new ideas and broadening his mindset. He was passionate about technology and was constantly building projects and tinkering, ranging from coding scripts to automate things for his life to creating AI and machine learning models. His interests were infectious, it was impossible not to be intrigued when he was talking deeply about something.

John found running later in life, quickly becoming an active member of Toledo’s running and climbing communities. He strived to always push himself athletically, quickly becoming a skilled runner and climber, and eventually a running coach and ambassador for Dave’s Running. John ran his first marathon, Flying Pig in Cincinnati, on October 31, 2021, his first triathlon in Whitehouse in 2021, and his first half Iron Man in Sandusky on July 24, 2022. He broke his first four-hour marathon at Glass City Marathon in 2022, a major goal of his, finishing in 3 hours and 57 minutes. John was a member of the Toledo Road Runners, a Run Toledo Ambassador, and a coach for Dave’s Training Programs. He always inspired others with his determination and strength. John found great joy in nature, and his hike in Yosemite was a special event for him. He was constantly setting new bars for himself and pushing beyond what was believed to be possible. He applied this philosophy to everything he did in life; there was no challenge he could not solve.

John is survived by his wife, Jenny; children, Oskar F. and Josef H.; his mother Gloria Klear; siblings, Julie A. (Moulay) Essakalli of Cincinnati, Michael P. (Jamie) of Toledo, and Kathryn R. (Angelo) Citino of Toledo; nieces and nephews, Tyler, Conor, Owen, Bailey, Noor, Zak, Tate, Maggie, Francesca, Phoebe, and Giovanni. He is preceded in death by his father, John.

A memorial Mass will be held Friday, November 10, at 11 a.m., with a 10 a.m. visitation and concluding with military honors at 12 p.m. at the Historic Church of St. Patrick, 130 Avondale Avenue, Toledo, OH 43604.

John will also be honored at the beginning of the Churchill’s Half Marathon at 8:30 a.m. at Perrysburg High School on Saturday, November 11, at 8:20 a.m. with a moment of silence and ribbons for all the runners.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 11 at 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Oak Openings Park at the Heavy Wheelhouse, 3520 Waterville-Swanton Rd. Swanton, Ohio 43558. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue at www. friendsofyosar.org, and/or Metroparks Toledo at www. metroparkstoledofoundation.org/ways-to-give/. Arrangements were handled by Walker Funeral Home, Toledo.