John Wayne Loehr

John Wayne Loehr

November 25, 1949 – June 7, 2021

The family will receive friends Monday, June 14^th from 5pm to 7pm at the West Center Chapel followed by VIGIL SERVICE at 7pm.  GRAVESIDE SERVICE; Tuesday, June 15^th at 9am at the Omaha National Cemetery with Military Honors by Millard American Legion Post 374/VFW Post 8334.

To view live broadcasts of Vigil Service and Graveside Service, please go to www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “View Live Cast” button on our home page.

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John was preceded in death by father, Leonard Loehr; mother, Bonnie Loehr; sister, Barb Loehr.  Survived by children: Jeff Loehr (Sara), Jessica Odeh (Sham), Justin Loehr (Erin), and Jared Loehr (Kristina); grandkids: Amira, Ava, Alivia, Parker, Owen, Josie, Henry, Graham, Kylie; siblings: Patty Loehr, Don Loehr, Ron Loehr, and Roger Loehr.

John was born in Amoret, Missouri and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from North High School in 1969 and served in the Army during the Vietnam War.  John was a Military Police Officer in Washington State for training and was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas.  He earned an award for best marksmanship and figured he would end up as a sniper overseas.  Instead, John remained in Fort Hood, Texas as a Military Police Officer.  He often joked that he was responsible for Texas and Washington never being invaded by the Vietnam Army.

Following his time in the military he worked a variety of jobs over the years including the Omaha World Herald, interior/exterior home painter, copy machine technician for Konica Minolta, along with other part time and odd jobs.  John embodied the definition of hard working.  He would work three jobs to ensure he could take care of his family.  John was recognized as Service Technician of the year in 2004 and received the Unsung Hero Award in 2003.  He was a pilar of the Keystone neighborhood delivering the newsletter for the last 27 years along with completing many odd jobs for neighbors without the expectation of anything in return.  When John retired, he devoted his whole life to his family and the people around him.

John loved American muscle cars.  Although he did not own one in recent years, he could name any make, model, and engine of just about any classic car on the road.  When John worked for the World Herald, he said he loved cars so much he would buy a new one each year.  He said he loved his 380 big block engine Plymouth Barracuda Fastback so much he would wax the inside of the trunk just to keep the shine.

John loved his kids and grandkids.  He was always the “go to” babysitter, would play with the grandkids after a full day of work, and would do anything he could to make his grandkids feel special.  John had a passion for family, hard work, and taking care of others.  Following retirement his life was committed to his children and grandchildren.  He wanted to see people happy and enjoyed painting a room, hanging a light, fixing a chair, or whatever he could do to help others.  A perfect day for John was reading the newspaper, watching Good Morning America while drinking a cup of coffee, mowing the lawn, and spending time with grandkids.  He always put others before himself!  His kids often looked forward to hearing his annual calls to clean the gutters, disconnect garden hoses prior to overnight freezes, and always calling to see if he could help with any household project.

John was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer in November 2020.  After a strong fight with chemo treatments the cancer began growing again in April 2021. Rather than going through another bout of taxing chemo treatment, John decided he wanted to spend his final days with family and traveling with his loved ones.  His last months were spent surrounded by loved ones traveling to Colorado, Arizona, and Orchard, Nebraska.  In Colorado he was able to hike, sight see, and spend time in the mountains with family.  Seeing the Grand Canyon was a dream of his.  He was able to spend time on the South rim and fly in a plane seeing the whole thing. His oldest son, Jeff Loehr, lives near Orchard, NE where John was able to go fishing, ride four wheelers, and spend time in the country.  He was truly able to spend his final days on his own terms and passed spending time surrounded by family and friends.

When people think about John Wayne, they think of a cowboy in a western movie saving the day.  Those who knew John think of a different John Wayne.  He has always been an early riser, always on time, a giver and not a taker.  John will forever be one of the most patient, caring, helpful, and hardworking people we will ever know.  He was tough as steal and had a heart of gold.  Many would call him Superman, but we were lucky enough to call him Dad.  The best dad and grandfather we could ask for!  John will be deeply missed, but his impact on the lives of those close will never be forgotten.

John was truly one of a kind and made a significant impact on the people around him.  He will be remembered for his kind heart and strong work ethic.  John put others before himself, never met a stranger, and had a personality that made you feel at ease.  He was the best dad, grandpa, and neighbor anyone could ask for and lucky to have had him in our lives. Those closest to him will miss the phone calls asking if we watched Good Morning America and telling us all about the stories.  We will miss the kind of person who would go to the store and get a toy for the grandkid the parents told him they didn’t need.  He kept our fridges filled with popsicles for the kids and eggnog over the winter.  The one that put others before himself, would drop everything to help someone else, and the guy that you knew you could always count on.  John will forever be missed!