John James Emmert Jr.

In Loving Memory of John James Emmert, Jr. November 21, 1943 – December 3, 2022 John Emmert most recently of Novi, Michigan, a devoted husband and father, died peacefully on Saturday morning December 3, 2022, with his wife and children by his side, ending a tremendously full life and a brave and spirited battle with type-1 diabetes. John was born in Pontiac, Michigan on November 21, 1943, to Irene Emmert and John J. Emmert, Sr. Gregarious and energetic, John had a deep love of life, a goofy sense-of-humor, and loved to make people laugh. Somewhat of a class clown, one might find him making duck (or other bird) noises in some of the most unlikely and inappropriate settings drawing laughter and smiles from those around him and embarrassing his children, which is something he seemed to love to do! As a gadget freak, he lived on the lunatic fringe of early adoption ensuring he was always two steps ahead of his peers and colleagues with the latest tech. In the early 1980s, he once brought a “portable” computer to a meeting for notetaking raising eyebrows among many of his colleagues, most of whom were still using typewriters. John had deep love of music. He grew up playing piano, a hobby he continued into adulthood. Blessed with a beautiful tenor, he sang for many years in his church choir and was known to spontaneously break into song to brighten the mood and make people smile. An accomplished whistler, John could often express complex scores across many genres just by whistling it. He was very handy and a tinkerer. He would often take things apart -- like a clock or small appliance -- just to see how it worked. He amazed his family and friends with the number of things he seemed to “just know” how to do; like, build a color TV from scratch, construct a deck on the back of house, or make his own plumbing and electrical modifications in just about every home he ever owned. He was an avid sailor and loved the water. Over the years, he had many sailboats of all shapes and sizes, spending many summer evenings sailing his boat on Lake St. Clair with his family just to relax and even sometimes competing in regattas. His last great sail came just after retirement in 2001, when he and Nancy spent a year at sea sailing the great circle tour, which took them through the Gulf of Mexico, to the Bahamas, and up the Eastern Seaboard. He was a man of deep faith seeking connection to God and Christ throughout his life. His spiritual journey ended as a devoted member of the Northville Presbyterian church, where he regularly attended bible study, sang in the choir, and served as Treasurer. Professionally, John spent most of his career at Ford Motor Company as a Public Relations executive where he was loved by his colleagues for being completely unconventional and the consummate people person. John graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and continued his graduate studies at Pepperdine University in Southern California. John served in the Army during the Vietnam war achieving the rank of 1st Lieutenant. John is survived and his memory cherished by his wife of 57 years, Nancy Emmert. He is also survived by his daughter Susan Ferris (Bill), his son John J. Emmert, III (Amy), as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A public memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, MI from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. 1589 Maple Road, Birmingham, MI. A reception/luncheon will be announced at the conclusion of services, where all are welcome to come and remember and reflect on John. The Kingsley hotel 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, MI. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to JDRF to fight the scourge of type-1 Diabetes. https://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/DIY/JDRFNationalDIY?pg=entry&fr_id=8505

John James Emmert Jr.

November 21, 1943 - December 3, 2022