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Obituaries 4-12-16 John Hodgdon FlickingerJohn Hodgdon Flickinger passed away peacefully on March 29 2016. He had celebrated his 98th birthday ten days earlier with family and friends at the Residence at Otter Creek in Middlebury, VT.A wonderful husband, father, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather, he was much beloved by his family and friends, all of whom enjoyed his sense of humor, varied interests, and joy in life. John was born on March 19, 1918 in Schenectady, NY to John and Maude (Hodgdon) Flickinger. He graduated from Niskayuna High School, NY in 1936 and spent his formative years fly fishing, hunting and skiing. He was the youngest of six children and the only boy, and many of his fondest memories involved the outdoor activities he enjoyed with his father. John graduated from the University of Michigan in 1940 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a member of the ATO fraternity and manager of the mens’ track team, and remained an avid fan of the Wolverines for the rest of his life. Upon graduation, John began a career with General Electric and met his future wife, Jacqueline (Jackie) Suzanne Foster, at the River Works plant in Lynn, Massachusetts making jet engines. Future assignments with GE took him to Philadelphia and Erie PA; Decatur and Fort Wayne IN, and Linton IN where he was plant manager. However, John and Jackie wanted to return east and in 1966 John accepted a position as Manager of Manufacturing with Simmonds Precision Engineering in Vergennes, Vermont. Relocating to nearby Middlebury allowed John to expose his family to the outdoor pastimes he had so enjoyed as well as to the cultural benefits of a college town. A few years later, John began a second career as an agent for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance. He enjoyed the personal relationships he developed with his many clients and received satisfaction from seeing the benefits of his work. Many of these connections remained with him for the rest of his life. John was very community minded and an active member of the Middlebury Congregational Church. He was also involved in Rotary for many years, and supported a number of local charitable and environmental groups. He is survived by his wife of 70 years and three children: Jay (wife Cally) of Shelburne VT; Nancy (husband Jim Witkin) of Takoma Park MD; and Barbara (husband Kim Christiansen) of Larchmont NY. His oldest child Bob (wife Caryl), of Penn Yan NY, pre-deceased John in 2012. John enjoyed his nine grandchildren (Bob’s sons Jason, Mark, and Brian Flickinger; Jay’s daughters Kristina Hill and Sarah Flickinger; Nancy’s sons Danny and Matt Witkin; and Barbara’s children Katie and Sam Christiansen). John had five great-grandchildren (Mark’s daughters Finley and Piper; Brian’s daughters Ellie and Reagan; and Kristina’s son Eden). John’s five older sisters (Jean, Ruth, Mary, Kay and Elsie) pre-deceased him. A memorial service will be held at the Middlebury Congregational Church on April 23 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vermont or Adirondack Chapters of the Nature Conservancy, the Adirondack Land Trust, or the Middlebury Congregational Church. The family also wishes to thank Addison County Home Health and Hospice as well as Elderly Services for their support.
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