John A. Gonyo, long-time resident of Fords, NJ, passed away at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, on August 28, 2025. He was 93.

Born in Perth Amboy, child of John and Catherine (Kozak) Gonyo, John graduated Perth Amboy High School in 1949. He was a member of the Army National Guard from 1950 to 1953, which was during the Korean War. He had been married to his beloved wife, Josephine (Horvath) for 70 years. Instilled with John was his love of family, God, and country

John had been an electrician for General Motors in Linden, NJ for 31 years before retiring in 1993. While at GM, he conceived and developed a volunteer response team and taught first-aid and CPR to the team members. He was a member and past Captain of St. John's First Aid Squad in Fords, teaching first-aid and CPR to both his squad and neighboring units for over 20 years.

Member of Our Lady of Peace Church in Fords, John was a member and past Faithful Navigator of the Knights of Columbus Middlesex Council # 857 in Woodbridge. Since the inception of the Liberty Science Center, John was very active as a volunteer and received an award for volunteering more hours than any other volunteer in 2011 for a record of 2,860 hours. All of this in addition to volunteering with youth organizations including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Biddy Baseball, Little League Baseball, Pop Warner Football, and others.

John was president of AARP Chapter 3869 in Woodbridge. His involvement, increased to the state level and he became a counselor for the Senior Health Improvement Program (SHIP), in Middlesex County and became a Certified Volunteer Advocate for the State of NJ office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly, visiting the Roosevelt Care Center and others. He also assisted the Director of the Department for Aging in helping Seniors with their tax filings. John was a recipient of the nationally recognized AARP Andrus award in 2016 for outstanding community service.

John always made time with family an important priority. There were yearly family camping trips, High School band trips, music concerts, and lots of family dinners and BBQ's often presiding over holiday dinners with a family blessing. In later years he devoted hours cat-napping with his orange cat and lap buddy appropriate named Buddy. Not a day would go by that anyone stopping in would interrupt a quiet nap of the two snoozing in the sun with Buddy on his lap.

John is survived by his loving wife, Josephine Gonyo; son, Jack Gonyo and wife Jeannette of Holly Springs, NC; daughter, Kathleen and her husband Curtis Reek of Lawrence Harbor, NJ; brother, Gerald Gonyo and his wife Patricia of Beach Haven, NJ; sister, Dr. Marilyn Gonyo of Monroe, NJ; granddaughters: Jessica and her husband Isaac Dixon of Dry Forks, VA, Melissa Gonyo and Amy Gonyo both of Holly Springs, NC. He is also survived by six loving nieces and nephews, nine grandnieces and grandnephews, and many cousins.

Family and friends may visit at the Flynn and Son/Mitruska Funeral Home, 23 Ford Ave., Fords on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 from 4-8 pm. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home Thursday, September 4, at 10:00 am followed by a 10:30 am mass at Our Lady of Peace Church in Fords. Entombment will follow at Woodbridge Memorial Gardens in Woodbridge. In lieu of flowers donations in John's name may be made to Our Lady of Peace Church https://www.olpfords.org/ or a charity of your choice.