John R. Downard

Leetonia, February 10, 2004, John R. Downard, age 61, of 37531 SR 558, died at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Salem Community Hospital following a long illness.

Mr. Downard was born July 23, 1942 in Canton, a son of Clyde and M. Esther Pasiley Downard and had lived here since 1988, coming from Bergholz, OH.

He had been employed as a truck driver for several trucking companies, last working for Falcon Transport, Youngstown. He had served in the US Navy and was a member of the Bergholz Church of Christ.

He is survived by his wife, the former Shirley A. Grove, whom he married September 18, 1988; a daughter, Diane Weaver of Sevieville, TN; two sons, Sam Downard and Scott Downard, both of Tampa, FL; two stepsons, Frank Little and Jeff Little, both of Columbiana; a sister, Mary Jane Barnhouse of Louisville, OH; two brothers, Leroy Downard of Columbus and Norman "Bud" Downard of Bergholz; and 11 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Woods-Rettig Funeral Home, Leetonia, with the Reverend David Miller officiating. Burial will follow in Hope Cemetery, Salem. Friends may call at the funeral home from 7-9 p.m. on Friday.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of the Valley.