John Henry Holzapfel
John Henry Holzapfel of Upper St. Clair, formerly, of McMurray, passed away on Friday, September 8, 2023, after a lengthy illness.
John was born in Gastonville, on December 9, 1938, to Henry and Nora Wallace Holzapfel. He attended Monongahela High School and continued his education at Penn State University. John graduated from Penn State in 1960, with a degree in Business Administration and began his professional career with Coopers and Lybrand (now Pricewaterhouse Coopers), where he became a Certified Public Accountant in 1963 and was welcomed as a partner in 1972.
John was an active member of the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs and served as president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Association of Accountants. He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, the Duquesne Club and Valley Brook Country Club.
John is survived by his beloved wife, Isabelle Highberger Holzapfel. He met Isabelle on a blind date in 1959 and referred to that date as “The best thing that ever happened to me.” They were married in June of 1961 and became the proud parents of three sons: J. Kirk, of Hockessin Del., William L. (Kristen) of Berkeley Calif. and Gregory A. (Katrina) of Akron Ohio.
John was blessed with three grandchildren, Jenna, Matthew and Jackson who provided him with many hours of joy during his lifetime as he watched them cheer and play football, lacrosse and hockey. He was immensely proud of them and their many accomplishments.
John was preceded in death by his sister, Ruth Walters; brother-in-law, John Highberger; and daughter-in-law, Maryanne Holzapfel.
John is survived by his sister-in-law, Louise Highberger of West Chester, and her three daughters: Ellen, Sue, and Jane; and two daughters of his sister, Ruth: Susan and Dianne.
John was a devoted husband, role model and a living example of integrity and generosity for his sons. He had many admirable traits; chief among them was his enormous love and devotion to his family and three sons. He traveled extensively for work and he and Isabelle continued that tradition with numerous golf outings, cruises and sightseeing trips throughout Europe and the USA after his retirement in 1998. John often said, “for a bad golfer, I have played many of the finest golf courses in the world”, having played many of the best in Scotland, Ireland, the continental USA and Hawaii.
John enjoyed good food and wine, and he loved to relax on the patio in the evening admiring the manicured lawn and gardens that he worked to maintain. Most every Saturday in the fall was spent watching and cheering PSU football. He also enjoyed being outdoors; particularly, hiking and marking the boundaries on his tree farm in Fayette County. Of all his many interests and activities, spending time with his family was at the top of the list.
Friends will be received from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 22nd at the Beinhauer Funeral Home, located at 2828 Washington Road, McMurray. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 23rd at Westminster Presbyterian Church located at 2040 Washington Road, Pittsburgh.
In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to The Washington City Mission, 84 W. Wheeling Street, Washington, PA 15301. www.citymission.org
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