John Harold Menden

John Harold Menden, a lifelong Toledo resident, died on Saturday, March 25, 2023, surrounded by his family at Hospice of Northwest Ohio after a battle with cancer. He was 93.

The youngest of 10 children of Frank and Helena (Harter) Menden, John was born on June 14, 1929, in Toledo.

John attended Toledo Central Catholic High School for two years. He then attended seminary school before deciding the clerical life wasn't his calling. After seminary he was drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War.

After the war, John returned to Toledo and worked as an orderly at Mercy Hospital. While at Mercy, John met a nurse named Mary Cleghorn. They married on Sept. 27, 1958. They raised five children in Toledo and remained married until Mary's death on September 8, 2005.

Dad was a devout Catholic whose faith was central to his life. A longtime member of St. Charles Church, he later was a member of Little Flower Church and Gesu Church. He also often attended Christ the King Church and regularly attended the Monastery of the Visitation. He went to Mass every morning until the week before his death.

John is survived by his children, Beth (Mark) Ball of Whitehouse, Kay Menden of Toledo, Mark (Pattianne) Menden of Cincinnati, Matt (Virginia) Menden of Toledo, and Joe (Jenny Kaleczyc) Menden of Helena, Montana; and grandchildren Jacob, Zachary, Jonathan, Joshua, Annie and Will, and Mark's son Scott Ball.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Mary; siblings Robert, Cecelia, Mary West, Catherine Wilcox, Rosella (Sr. Mary Joella, SND), Richard, Rita Barden, Frank and Charles; and Ethel Moyer, his second love for 20 years after Mary's death.

Wisniewski Funeral Home, 2426 N. Reynolds Road, is handling funeral arrangements where visitation will be on Wednesday, March 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. Services are planned for Thursday, March 30, at 10:30 a.m. at Gesu Church, 2049 Parkside Blvd. where the family will receive guests beginning at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery after the funeral.

Memorial donations are suggested to Hospice of Northwest Ohio or the Knights of Columbus.

www.wisniewskifuneral.net
 

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