John J. Trunk

John J. Trunk, age 86, of New Philadelphia, died Thursday, April 14, 2016, in the New Dawn Retirement Community, Dover.

Born July 29, 1929, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was a son of the late Gladys Trunk Murphy. John came to live with relatives in New Philadelphia at the age of twelve and graduated from New Philadelphia High School. He was an excellent baseball and softball player in his youth. Following high school, John went on to serve honorably during the Korean War with the United States Army. He and his much respected and loved companion of over fifty years, Ruth Lane, were instrumental in starting Cats 'n' Us. John loved to tell the story of how he and Ruth met over a candy bar.

John was no stranger to hard work, he was employed by the U.S. Ceramic Tile Co. at East Sparta, Porter Plumbing at New Philadelphia, and Cats 'n' Us at Dover. Additionally, John mowed lawns all over New Philadelphia and Dover.

Survivors include his twin brother, Edward L. Trunk, his niece, Sharon (Phil) Tidrick, and his nephew, Larry (Kay) Trunk, all of New Philadelphia; his friend and caregiver, Nancy Rogers (Ruth Lane's daughter) of Magnolia.


In addition to his mother, and his beloved Ruth, John was preceded in death by his step-father, Russell Murphy.


A funeral service will be held Tuesday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m., in the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, 246 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia. Burial will be in New Philadelphia's East Avenue Cemetery, where military rites will be conducted by the New Philadelphia post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Monday, April 18, 5 7 p.m. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of John, please visit the Obituaries and Flowers link on the funeral home's website.