WESTFIELD: John David Holzapfel (1949-2020) died peacefully in his sleep last week. John, or Jack as many knew him, was a maintenance machinist and a fixer of the unfixable things. He lived in Westfield, in the hollow where he grew up, his entire life except during his service in the US Navy. John made a life for himself, his wife, and two children in that hollow. He grew acres of food, raised animals, and taught us how to tackle a job that seemed too big to take on with steady sureness. He had a curious mind and read voraciously, always happy to talk ideas with anyone—so long as they worked while they talked!
John’s time in the Navy was dear to him, as were the friends he made then. His brilliance as a machinist made him a go-to guy who never let anyone down. John knew that it was wise to teach others how to take care of the world around them so he would patiently watch from over our shoulders as we did things wrong, guiding us to the right way when we were ready.
John’s wife, Charlene and son John Charles have passed before him, taking a piece of his love for this world with them. John is survived by his daughter, Joli Hamilton, her husband Ken and their children, Sage, Moia, Rhys, Mac, Quinn, Torin, & Logan, his son’s three children, Daniel, Alexis, & Trinity, as well as his dear sisters Regina Holzapfel and Gretchen Ingraham who cared for him, their sweet brother, with enduring affection.
