Dr. John R. Semancik

Dr. John R. Semancik, 79, of Mentor, passed away peacefully December 1st at home surrounded by his family. John and beloved wife Martha (Chrobok) celebrated 50 joyful years of marriage this past May. Born July 4, 1936 in Barton, Ohio, John moved to the Cleveland area in the early 1940’s. He graduated valedictorian in 1954 from Benedictine and continued to be an avid supporter of his cherished Bengals. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology, an MS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and a PhD in Macromolecular Science from Case. He served in the US Army Critical Skills program for 7 years. John spent over 37 years in the chemical industry, including time with Diamond Alkali/Shamrock, Mitech, Carri-Med Americas, TA Instruments and BF Goodrich. John holds 57 worldwide patents. While attending Case and studying German, his neighbor introduced John to her sister living in Germany who was trying to learn English. John proposed to his long distance pen pal 3 months after she came to the United States. John was a member of St. Mary’s of the Assumption where he was active with the Renewal program, Helping Hands and a lector for 35 years. John enjoyed a variety of sports including softball, tennis, bowling and golf; including 16 years of coaching in the Mentor Softball League. After retiring in 1997, John and Martha enjoyed traveling worldwide and spending time with family. In addition to Martha, John is survived by brother, Joseph S. Semancik of San Diego, California; daughter Monica (Mark) Gloudemans of Ft. Wayne, Indiana; Christopher (Susan) Semancik of Shaker Heights; Heidi (Timothy) Murphy of Kirtland; and Gretchen Semancik of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; grandchildren Michael, Meghan, Derek, Jacob and Nicole Gloudemans; Bradley and Andrew Semancik; and Madison and Ryley Murphy. He is preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Mary (Fedorko) Semancik and sister in law Monique Semancik. Funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary of the Assumption Church 8560 Mentor Ave., Mentor. The family will receive friends from 3-8 p.m. Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. Interment will be at All Souls Cemetery, Chardon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Benedictine High School Scholarship Fund 2900 Martin Luther King Dr., Cleveland, OH 44104 or the St. Andrew Svorad Abbey 10510 Buckeye Rd., Cleveland, OH 44104. Offer condolences at www.brunners.com

Dr. John R. Semancik

July 4, 1936 - December 1, 2015