John Gurn Kelbaugh Jr.

Join us in celebrating the life of John Gurn Kelbaugh, Jr. He was born May 13, 1930, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania to Helen (Chenowith) and John Kelbaugh, Sr. His family moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1940. John Jr. entered the labor force at the ripe age of 11, delivering newspapers for the Baltimore Morning Sun Paper, in addition to selling magazines to the same people he delivered newspapers. At age 12, he added the position of a soda jerk, working for the Loch Raven Drugstore to his resume. If that wasn’t enough, on weekends he would caddy at the Hillendale and Mount Pleasant Golf courses of Maryland. John entered the United States Navy in 1948, and was honorably discharged in 1952, having served on the DDR830 Larson when Israel became a nation and the USS Midway during the Korean War. After the Navy, John began doing concrete work, which included footings of houses, steps, porches and sidewalks, in addition to building homes and a church (Joppa Gospel Tabernacle) prior to doing the concrete work for his first high-rise building, the Belvedere Towers, in Baltimore on Falls Road and Northern Parkway. He was a concrete sub-contractor until retirement and led an ambitious career spreading the word of his pride and joy, Concrete Deck Systems of America. After he retired, he later became co-owner of Towson Sedan services until his early 80’s, enjoying hours of driving customers to and fro. John married the love of his life, Dorothy (Wilt) Kelbaugh in 1958. Their union lasted for 59 years. John leaves behind his two daughters Lynda (Kelbaugh) LaPine (Richard) Superior, WI and Lori (Kelbaugh) Marshall, Frankford, DE; four grandchildren, Jana LaPine, Superior, WI, James LaPine (Pilar), Duluth, MN, Brittany (Marshall) Baig (Kamal), Washington, D.C. , and Jordan Marshall, Fort Polk, LA; two great-grandchildren, Kinley and Yanik LaPine, Duluth, MN and another great grandchild arriving in July; brother, Charles Kelbaugh (Juanita), Bel Air, MD; 31 nieces and nephews; and cousin, George Kelbaugh, York, PA. He passed on May 6, 2019, in Frankford, Delaware in his home with his loving daughters beside him until his last breath. He went onto his new home which God gloriously prepared for him to spend eternity with his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to his wife, Dorothy Wilt Kelbaugh, John was preceded in his death by his parents; brothers, Mahlon and Timothy; and sister, Dorothy (Kelbaugh) Hanth. Dad said, “He wanted all to know that nothing was more important than to know the Lord, and that his grandkids & great grandkids are wonderful people!”

John Gurn Kelbaugh Jr.

May 13, 1930 - May 6, 2019