John Francis Mesmer who was 84, passed away with his loving family at his side on May 6, 2020 in Houston, Texas. John was born on December 21, 1935 in St. Joseph, Missouri to Philip Henry Mesmer and Mary Veronica (Glentzer) Mesmer. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, William, and his nieces, Sharon Gausling and Cathy Williams.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy. They were married for 53 years. During their marriage, they lived in both Huntington Beach, California and Houston, Texas. He is survived by his four daughters, Christine Varisco, her husband Al and children, Sarah, Emily, and Madison; Mary Keegan, her husband Sean and children, John, Kathryn, Patrick, and Joseph; Elizabeth Ethridge, her children, Eric, Morgan, Luke, and Grace; & Carolyn Erwin, her children, Matthew and Mallory. He is also survived by his sister, Theresa Baker; his brother, Robert and his wife, Patricia; numerous family members and friends.
John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Detroit. He also attended Creighton University where he played collegiate basketball on a scholarship. He attended Christian Brothers High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. He earned All-City honors in basketball, as well.
John started his career working with Honeywell in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then worked with North American Aerospace Division in Downey, California which later became Rockwell Aerospace. He held several positions including Director of Mission Operations & New Business for the Shuttle Program in Houston, Texas. Upon retiring, he became a consultant on the International Space Station in the Netherlands. He and Nancy lived there for 5 years. They enjoyed travelling on the weekends.
John loved spending time with his family. He especially enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s activities and sporting events. He had a passion for golf, camping, and coaching. John was quiet and reserved, modest and hardworking, wise and understanding, willing to listen to those around him, and he had a bright engaging presence.
His funeral mass will be held on Monday, May 18th at 10:00 am at Mary Queen Catholic Church located at 606 Cedarwood Drive, Friendswood, Texas 77546. A memory tribute will be placed at www.crowderfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a memorial donation in John’s memory may do so to Sharon’s Pantry-Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley, PA or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.