John William Raber passed away peacefully into the arms of his beloved granddaughter Lydiaon May 4,2019 at Lifecare Hospice in Wooster. John was born on May 27,1934 and wasraised by his grandparents William A. Raber and Lydia Sarah Raber in Blacksville, WestVirginia. Upon coming to live with his grandparents in Blacksville, he then had a happychildhood in the small West Virginia hamlet nestled between the mountains. He was a 1953graduate of Clay Battelle High School. Upon graduation from high school, he entered theUnited States Army and proudly served his country in Korea from 1954 to 1955. While in thearmy, he was the lead singer in a quartet known as Taro Tunes that performed in USO showsthroughout Korea and in Japan. After returning to the States, he married the love of his life Betty Grace Lee on June 16, 1956 and the two celebrated 62 years of marriage last June.
John graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1959 and later a Master’s Degree in Education in 1962. He always enjoyed pointing out that he went to college with basketball great Jerry West. He began his teaching career at Riverside Junior High School in Morgantown, West Virginia and taught English at Elyria High School in Elyria, Ohio where helater served as assistant principal and then principal.
John was a person of myriad interests and talents. He played football and basketball; was a Thespian; sang as a soloist and with a quartet; was involved in summer theater; umpired baseball games; was a member of the speech and debate team at WVU; was past president of King Solomon’s Lodge in Elyria and a member of Ebenezer Lodge in Wooster; was a past president of the Elyria Kiwanis Club; was a fan of Ohio Light Opera; loved watching baseball; and was a stickler for good punctuation and grammar. He could recite and quote passages from Shakespeare and loved watching British comedies. He was a member of Wooster UnitedMethodist Church.
He is survived by his beloved wife Betty, his daughter Monica Miyashita and son in law, Mark, of Orrville; and his two beloved grandchildren, Max and Sarah-Grace Miyashita, also of Orrville. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents and custodians, William and Lydia Sarah  Raber; brother Ab Raber; sister Sarah Lee Raber; .brother in laws Robert Lee and Richard Lee;special aunt and uncle Mary and Carlton McKinney and by beloved granddaughter Lydia Li-mei Eiko Miyashita who died at age 5 in 2009 from leukemia.
       Friends will be received at the Wooster United Methodist Church, 243 N. Market St., Wooster 1 hour prior to the 11:00 a.m. service on Friday, May 10, 2019 with the Rev. Dr. David Wilcox officiating.   A Masonic Memorial service will be held at 11:00 am at the Church.   Burial will be at 2:30 pm in the Crown Hill Cemetery, Orrville.
       McIntire, Bradham & Sleek Funeral Home, 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster is assisting the family.
       In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, 1900 Akron   Rd., Wooster, OH 44691 or to St. Jude Children’s                  Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
       Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mcintirebradhamsleek.com.
 
 

Memorial Contributions
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John ™s memory to Ohio ™s Hospice LifeCare, 1900 Akron Road, Wooster, OH 44691 or to St. Jude Children ™s         Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Service
Friday, May 10, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Wooster United Methodist Church

Visitation
Friday, May 10, 2019 from 10-11:00 a.m. at the Wooster United Methodist Church, 243 N. Market St., Wooster.