John David Friling's Obituary
John David Friling of Ocean View, Delaware, (formerly of Downingtown, PA), passed away suddenly on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at the age of 77.
John is survived by his son, Jim Friling (Alexis), and daughter, Katie Hadzor (Paul) and their children, Pierce, Riley, and Reese, his sweet sister, Jane Meyers of Naples, FL...and his beloved Westie, Maggie (who will be adopted by Jim). John is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Margaret Friling.
John graduated Frenchtown High School where he played football. He then went on to Gettysburg College where he met some of his life-long friends. John was a proud member of Phi Kappa Psi, whose mayhem (he insisted) rivaled that of Delta Tau Chi from "Animal House". Upon graduation in 1962, John spent a brief time in teaching before settling on a career in insurance sales, with his longest tenure at Allstate Insurance.
John enjoyed fishing, hunting, and golfing. One thing he looked forward to more than anything was heading to "The Camp" for a week each November to deer hunt and bond with his buddies. He also took trips out to Montana simply to fly fish. In more recent years, John would look forward to his daily 4pm gathering in "the park" with neighborhood comrades, where they would enjoy the warm sun on their faces with a drink in their hands.
Over the years, John had 6 beloved dogs; 4 Westies (Cutty, Sark, Buffy, and Maggie), and 2 Brittany Spaniels (Lady and Sugar) who were both trained bird dogs.
John loved getting his hands dirty. He grew fresh vegetables in the garden each year, enjoyed working with his tools, and even planted our Christmas trees in our yard (that are now over 20 plus feet tall); a man truly rooted at home.
John was like an onion, he had many layers. Anyone who knew him well, knew he was frugal (he bought generic brands before that was a term). He was a humble man who lived simply; no flashy cars or name brand anything. But most importantly, at his core, John was loyal to his most beloved friends and family.
Per his demand (and he literally put in writing that he would haunt us if we didn't follow through)...John's ashes will be spread at two of his favorite locations. Those wishing to honor John can make a donation to the ASPCA in his name (www.aspca.org/donate).
Electronic condolences may be made via www.watsonfh.com
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