John Keith Pardee

With great sadness and heavy hearts, we announce the passing of John Keith Pardee III, age 72, on December 24, 2018 at his home surrounded by his family who loved him dearly. John was born June 13, 1946 in Lansing, MI to John Keith Pardee Jr. and Georgann Hayes Pardee. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1968 with a BA in Business where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. John earned both his MBA and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Toledo and was admitted to practice law in the Ohio Supreme Court and all Ohio Courts in 1974. He served as an attorney in Toledo for more than 44 years, specializing in estates, wills and trusts, probate, and adoptions. John was a consummate professional and his clients trusted and respected his experience and attention to detail. John also spent 11 years as a Division Manager at the former St. Vincent Hospital in Toledo, OH where he met his future wife, Mirella Guerra (he was the night manager and she was the night nurse!). He served as an adjunct professor of Business Law and Economics at Davis Business College for several years. John was active in the community as a member of the Toledo and Sylvania Chambers of Commerce, and was appointed to the Toledo Civil Service Commission by former Mayor Jack Ford, serving from 2003-2006. He often volunteered for WTOL’s Ask the Attorney program through the Toledo Bar Association, providing free legal aid to the public. Johns interests included listening to podcasts, playing tennis and golf, cheering on the Michigan State Spartans (in any sport), learning to play the banjo and ukulele, attending cultural festivals, seeking out the best local arts and crafts wherever he went, and visiting car shows. He loved to dance, plan parties, travel and take road trips. He spent time traveling with his family in South America, West Africa, Asia, and Europe - and dreamed of vacationing in Australia one day. John had two passions in life: his family and helping others. His greatest joy was watching his children grow up; he rarely missed a sporting event, and was present for every academic and professional achievement. He instilled in his family the importance of serving others. He acted as a founding board member for Open Door Ministry (a nonprofit that provides sober living to men recovering from substance abuse) and was a former board member for the Mildred Bayer Clinic for the Homeless. He was involved with numerous organizations and volunteered at the soup kitchen in downtown Toledo, local arts and crafts festivals, and provided legal advice to non-profit organizations. He also attended and volunteered at Cedar Creek Church and was a member of the Full Gospel Business Mens Association, and participated in several interfaith men’s groups. John will be remembered for his positive, outgoing, and fun-loving nature. He was kind, gentle, compassionate and helpful. He always made time to listen, learn from, or reach out to others. John had a genuine and caring personality and a great sense of humor; he made friends wherever he went and never had a bad word to say about anyone. He was always sharply-dressed and owned a hat and festive tie for every occasion. He was an early adopter of consumer technologies and a self-described tech whiz. He mastered emojis and memes long before his family did - and they benefited daily from this impressive talent. His spirit will forever live on through his closest family, his beloved wife of 42 years, Mirella Guerra Pardee, his six children, Branton K. (Julie) Pardee, Garret H. Pardee, Maresa A. (Matthew) Kime, Roderick M. M. Pardee of Toledo, Ohio, Alanna M. (Ben Burghart) Pardee of Paris, France, and Dr. Gabriella L. (Sean Griffin) Pardee of St. Paul, Minnesota; five grandchildren: Colette and Alistair Pardee, and Everett, Adelina and Maxton Kime; his mother, Georgann Hayes Pardee and sister, Lynn (Mark) Symmes of Novato, California; his mother-in-law, Adele Guerra of Sandusky, Ohio; five nieces and nephews; his trusted paralegal, Mike Drabik; and countless friends and colleagues, especially his “lunch bunch” buddies Paul Jomantas and Sol Zyndorf and Sigma Chi brother Ed (Jane) Dombrowski of Muskegon, MI. His father, John Jack Pardee Jr., and father-in-law, Marino Guerra, preceded him in death. The family would like to acknowledge John’s doctors for their attentive care with special thanks to the staff at Hickman Cancer Center, Dr. Mark Burton, Dr. Henry Naddaf, Dr. Anil Mehta, Dr. Steven Ariss, and Dr. David Kouba. We would also like to thank the hospice nurses and caregivers, especially Amy, Jennifer, and Kathy. Family and friends are invited to visit the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey Rd.) on Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Johns celebration of life service will begin at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission, the Toledo Museum of Art, ProMedica Hospice, or an organization of the donors choice.