John Nathan Reisman

John Nathan Reisman , age 84, died on September 19, 2017 due to complications from Multiple Myeloma. He died without pain, and with the quick wit he had possessed since childhood. John was able to spend his final days visiting with his wife of 59 years, Jane Daib Reisman, his brother, Richard Reisman, his children and their spouses, as well as all of his grandchildren. Family was always first for him. The visits with everyone in his final days were incredibly meaningful and gave him peace as he moved toward death.

            John was a resident of Bexley, Ohio for 53 years and returned to the Bexley Jewish Community Center for his swim three times a week, even after he and Jane had moved to Friendship Village Columbus. John was a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He served in the Army after college, before starting his professional career. He married Jane Daib in 1958 and moved to Columbus to work for Lazarus, spending most of his career as the buyer of fine men’s clothing, along with a variety of other responsibilities. Upon retiring in 1994, after 36 years in the retail world, John was able to spend the first Friday after Thanksgiving with his family and he did not look back.

            John was active in the Unitarian-Universalist Church for almost 60 years, including a time as President of the Ohio Meadville District. He and Jane were an integral part of forming a Unitarian fellowship (Franklin Unitarian Fellowship) during the late 1960s. John and Jane enjoyed their many post-retirement years of international travel, including their beloved Star Clipper cruises and many Road Scholar tours. He remained committed to family and to community, cooking for a homeless shelter at the First Unitarian-Universalist Church for over 20 years, as well as being a 20+ year volunteer at Employment for Seniors. John was inducted into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2013 for his long-standing commitment to the community. Recently, Employment for Seniors renamed their volunteer of the year award in his honor – the John N. Reisman Volunteer of the Year Award. John will be remembered for his generosity both to his family and to the community.

            John is survived by his wife, Jane (Daib) Reisman; his children, John and Kimberly (Dunnam) Reisman of West Lafayette, IN, and Joanne (Reisman) and Ken Pinder of Liberty Township, OH; his grandchildren, Nathan Reisman of Memphis, TN, Maggie Reisman of Denver, CO, Hannah Reisman of Memphis, TN, and Sydney and Elizabeth Pinder of Liberty Township, OH; and a brother, Richard Reisman of Napa, California.

            A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, October 7, 2017, at the First Unitarian-Universalist Church, 93 West Weisheimer, Columbus, Ohio 43214. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Columbus or to a charity of choice.