John Collier Obituary

John S. Collier

The Honorable John S. Collier, 71, passed away Saturday, March 16, 2024.

He was born Jan. 30, 1953, to John and Virginia (Tawney) Collier of Deshler.

John attended Deshler High School and was a 1971 graduate of Patrick Henry High School. He attended Wittenberg University, where he met the love of his life, Laurie Lesher. They married July 12, 1974, in Grove City, Pennsylvania. John and Laurie shared 53 years together, living most of those years in Deshler, where they raised their four children. John was a proud husband, dad, and "papa."

Faith was the focus of John's life and family. He was a member of Oakdale United Methodist Church. John loved spending time at their summer home in Lakeside Chautauqua.

John's other passion was practicing law. He earned a BA in Economics from Wittenberg in 1975. John completed his J.D at The University of Toledo School of Law in 1979.

Over the course of his legal career, he served as a private practice attorney in Bowling Green, Toledo, and Deshler including 25 years as a partner with Gribbell, Sunderman, and Collier in his hometown of Deshler. He served as village solicitor for Deshler, Hamler, Holgate, Malinta, and Cygnet. John presided as Municipal Court Judge in Henry County having been appointed by Governor Voinovich in 1995, serving until May 2011 when he was sworn in as Henry County Common Pleas Court Judge, where he served until his retirement in Sept., 2021. As a judge, John served as president of Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio.

He is survived by his wife, Laurie; daughters, Lynsey Davis (Matt), Lauren Collier-Meienburg (Scott), and Katelyn Collier (William Ocheske); nine grandchildren he was blessed with, Zane and Annika Davis, Jackson, Maddox, and Finn Meienburg, Ainsley Ocheske, Knolyn Collier, and Knox and Knightley Collier-Ocheske; siblings, Steve (Annette) Collier, Connie Collier (Judy Oslin), and Kim Collier; brother-in-law, Curt (Jane) Lesher; nieces and nephews, Dave (Logan) Collier, Adam (Allison) Collier, John Patrick Collier, Emma and Owen Begley-Collier, Andrew (Shilpa) Lesher, Jordan (Corrie) Lesher, Connor Lesher, and Anna Lesher; and loyal Labrador retriever, Tillie, who stayed by his side until the end.

John was preceded in death by his parents, John P. Collier and Mary Virginia Collier (Tawney); and son, Mathew S. Collier.

John's funeral will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 220 West Elm Street, Deshler. A fellowship luncheon will immediately follow in the church hall. Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at Feehan-Rodenberger Funeral Home, Deshler, and 10-11 a.m. Wednesday at the church.

Donations, messages, and memories can be left for the family at www.feehanrodenbergerfuneralhome.com.