John Joura

John Joura of Asheboro, NC, 95 years of age, drew his last breath on Christmas Eve 2015, at Moses M. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. He had been hospitalized for injuries sustained in a fall a few days earlier. Born on May 1, 1920 in Staten Island, NY, to John and Catherine Massey Joura, John was the eldest of five siblings. His parents, as well as his sisters, Catherine Cummings and Anna Marie Hangacsi, and brothers Joseph Joura and Frank Joura preceded him in death. John is survived by his loving wife of seventy-four years, Elvera; his daughters, Susan Joura, and Christine (Peter) Taddeo; his sons, Michael Joura, Bob (Stephanie) Joura, Dennis (Stacy) Joura, Arthur (Christine) Joura, Gary (Helen Song) Joura, and Brian (Michelle Crawford) Joura; his grandchildren, Jonathan Joura, Anders Joura, Evan Joura, Amy Taddeo, Heather Joura, Jessica Joura, Samantha Joura, Trent Joura, Casey Joura, and John C. Joura; and his great-grandchildren, Joseph Joura, Asheley Joura, and Madison Joura. The centerpiece of John's long and exemplary life was his marriage to Elvera Renz. He met her in the little town of Tottenville, where he lived the first sixty-two years of his life, and the couple wed on June 28, 1941. Marital bliss was temporarily interrupted in February 1943 when John was inducted into the US Army. He became a demolitions expert in the Engineer Corps, serving with General George S. Patton's storied 3rd Army. He participated in the Normandy Campaign, the Liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge, earning along the way two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. Upon his safe return home, John and Elvera set about raising a large family and living the American dream. John was originally employed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, starting as a fireman on steam locomotives, then an engineer on diesel freight trains and finally becoming a motorman for the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority. Simultaneously, he operated his own business, John Joura Jr. Moving, which provided household moving services for thousands of people. In essence, John worked two full-time jobs for more than thirty years. He did this to provide a comfortable life for his wife and children. In 1980 he retired from the railroad, and in 1982 he closed his moving business. His last moving job was to relocate himself, Elvera and the youngest of their children to Asheboro, NC. Although his twin careers offered him little free time, John did enjoy a few recreational pursuits. He reveled in model railroading and spent years building an amazing O-gauge layout. He also collected model cars and trucks, and later in life took to solving complicated jigsaw puzzles as a way to keep his hands and mind busy. He also enjoyed driving and maintained a spotless record, motoring his way to all forty-eight contiguous states at least once, mostly by way of family vacations. Such leisurely activities were the exception for John, however. The major themes of his life were Responsibility and Work. As the eldest child, when the Great Depression came he was expected to help shoulder the burden of providing for his family. This resulted in his leaving Tottenville High School before graduation, and taking on a variety of hard, physical jobs to earn whatever money he could. John never spoke of this, but upon his retirement one of the first things he did was enroll in Randolph Technical College where he earned his GED at the age of 65. During all the years he spent working two full-time jobs, he was also systematically rebuilding the nearly 100-year old house in which he and Elvera raised their children, including adding a second story addition and building a garage big enough to accommodate his large moving van plus two cars. He did all the work himself, assisted by his older sons. John was also a handy mechanic, and did most of his own auto and truck repair. He was incredibly able with his hands and had a keen sense for figuring out how things worked. As a result of a lifetime of physical labor he was a powerfully strong person. His physical strength, however, was matched by the strength of his character, which was the result of a lifetime bearing responsibility for others. On the railroad where he worked some knew him as "The Mighty Oak", while others referred to him as "Honest John". Everyone who knew him recognized him as a person of integrity and true grit. He was morally upright too, never engaging in alcohol or tobacco use, gambling or swearing, but never forcing his views on others. Let it be recognized that John was a man and not a saint, no more perfect than any other human being. But in the final assessment, his virtues as a loving husband and father, his work ethic and unfailing sense of responsibility far outweighed whatever faults might have been found in him. John embodied the best traits of the "Greatest Generation". He lived a good and useful life. A private memorial service will be held at a later date.