OBITUARY: John Stockton VanMeter Esq.

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John Stockton VanMeter Esq.

John Stockton VanMeter, Esq., 54, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, passed away on Monday, July 19, 2021. Born February 27, 1967 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he was the son of the late Edward Lee (Sonny) VanMeter and Sharon L. Stone.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loyal furbaby, Buddee, a beautiful Chow mix that John rescued on a fishing trip.

He is survived by his sisters Lynn Beth Stone and Jill Renee Napier; Wilma Kennedy (aunt), Ed Kennedy (cousin), Anita Bess-Smart (cousin); Bernard Sharp (Brenda) (cousin), Jack (Retha) Stone (uncle), David Stone (cousin), Nellie Treadway (aunt) and many other loving cousins including Becky Wood (Bruce), Karen Bainer (Steve), Fonda Shockey (Raymond) and Jeff Canterbury (Sandy).

A Celebration of Life service will take place at Gum Springs Church in Chimney Corner, WV on Saturday, August 7, at 1 p.m. Family will receive friends and visitors one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Fayetteville Huse Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Fayetteville, WV.

John grew up in McAlester, Oklahoma, and graduated from McAlester High School in 1985. With such love of history, he earned his AA in History from Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, Oklahoma. Additionally, he earned a BA from West Virginia University of Morgantown and currently on track to earn a BA in Ancient Art with Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee.

John, having never met a stranger, had the biggest heart and showered everyone with love. He extended his love to any and every person that came into his home, wanting his home filled with love, joy, and laughter. He was a dedicated brother; finding joy and inspiration in fishing, watercolor painting, cooking delicious food, listening to music, and attending concerts.

While John battled many complications as the result of diabetes, his love and spirit never wavered. Most of all, he was an exceptional son, brother, cousin, and friend; always sacrificing his time to care for others. John also enjoyed his walks daily with his fur nephew Simon Winston Stone and fur niece, Destiny Marie Napier. Upon those walks, John often spoke of being in tune with nature and that his love for the woods and mountains always seemed to call his name. He was not a city boy in any way – although he did enjoy going to the Opera and more modern theatre in Nashville, Tennessee with his sisters and friends (Eric Brawner and Alan Cantrell).

John’s love of reading was apparent in the many, many, many books he had in his home. In his later years, John enjoyed watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks and would try his hand at cooking. He always made sure he cooked his sister, Lynn Beth, steak just the way she liked it and she always commented that it was so much better than she could get at a 5-star steak house. And, he would make sure his sister Jill had a coffee maker once COVID began and she was working from home. He commented to her that just because the world had stopped that it was no reason that she would need to stop drinking her coffee. These are just a few things that showed how much John was in tune with his sisters and his love for them.

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