John was born on November 12, 1931 in Gloversville, NY to Rev. Milton M. Lavery and Ruth (Loucks) Lavery. In 1953, John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Following a brief enlistment in the US Army where he was stationed in Chicago, John accepted a position with Beech Nut Life Savers, Inc., Canajoharie, NY where he worked his way up to VP of Operations and eventually retired in1986. John was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Caryl (Shaw) Lavery in 2009. He is survived by his children: John J. (Peggy) Lavery of Cohoes, NY; Diane J. Keup of Virginia Beach, VA; Julie A. Foster (Patrick deceased) Clermont, FL and Michael J. Lavery (Donald W. Deyo) of Sleepy Hollow, NY. He is also survived by a sister, Mary (Lavery) Lyman, White River Junction, VT and a brother, Rev. James Lavery of Ballston Spa, NY. John is also survived by eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Following his retirement, John and Caryl traveled six continents and over 30 countries. He was an avid sports fan, and favorite hobbies included fishing, golf and spending time with his family.



Funeral Service for Mr. Lavery will be held Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 2:00 PM in the chapel of Becker Funeral Home. In expression of sympathy, the family requests that, if you wish, you may make a donation in the name John F. Lavery to one of the following charities: Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Gay Men's Health Crisis.