John Jacob Mertz, Sr.

John Jacob Mertz Sr., 76, died on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. In the end, he died the same way everyone dies, "lack of breath." A life of 76 years with a legacy such as his is full of stories and memories. He wouldn't want people to be sad by his passing, in fact, during his send-off at the hospital, he barked when he heard someone crying and told them to knock it off. So with that, please share with the family, in a COVID friendly environment, Wednesday evening and/or Thursday Morning. Additionally, the Thursday service will be livestreamed. IT WAS ONE OF JOHN'S LAST WISHES THAT EVERYONE VISITING TO BRING A PICTURE TO BE INTERRED WITH HIM. PLEASE HONOR HIS WISH BY BRINGING A SMALL PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THAT WILL STAY WITH JOHN HERE AND AFTER. Born April 25, 1944, in Camden NJ, at a time when the city was at its peak of grandeur, to Philip and Margaret (n?e Angelo). He had nine brothers and sisters: Esther Berki, Larry (JoAnn), Allen (Laura), Arlene (Ralph) Torres, Gary (Ruthann), Gloria Sciarrillo, Wayne (Lydia), Rickie (Jeanie) and Tommy (Renee). He was married and divorced to Helene "Enie" Levering then Lynda (n?e Norbeck) Mays, his life's true love. He had seven children, Robin (William "Bill") Gerber and Harry, then John (Nicole), Todd (Amy), Shane (Dana), Steven (Christine), and Michael (Evelyn). He was the proud Pop-Pop of 20 grandchildren Ryan (Colleen) Gerber, Brandon Gerber, Katrina, William "Billie" (Melissa) Gerber, Alyssa Wilczynski, Michaela, Matthew "John", Liam, Allison "Alley", Jake, Michael, Shane, Evan, Luke, Jase Gerber, Jada Gerber, Jaxon, Meadow, Cristhian, and Rhyan and 5 great grandchildren: Robert "Bobby" Clark, Harper Gerber, Michelina Gerber, Kason Gerber and Landon Gerber. His favorite cousin and life-long friend was Robert "Earl" (Janet) Crim. His mother-in-law Edwina "Winnie" Norbeck was affectionately known by John simply as "Mom". He had many cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends, too many to mention, that he loved throughout his life. John was predeceased by both his parents, his brothers Larry and Allen, his brother-in-laws Ralph and Jeremiah "Jerry" Fagan Sr., his son Harry and Harry's mother Enie. While John had many friends during his years, one stands out greater than the rest, John "Woody" Woodland. Woody and John met doing what John did best, drinking coffee. What seemed to be an unlikely match, turned out to be one of the strongest bonds John had had his entire life. Woody's friendship, especially in the last couple of years as John's independence was tested with his glaucoma getting worse and his health slipping, was steadfast. No matter how cranky or stubborn "Big John" was, they remained friends till the end. John worked hard his entire life. He had a storied career working for Cutler Metal in (Camden), Kings Moving and Storage (Cherry Hill), Nastasi's Furniture (Oaklyn) and several others. He was truly the BEST at moving furniture, packing a truck, or getting a piece in the door. He bestowed some of that talent on all of his boys but most importantly, he taught them a strong work ethic, and gave them the ability to solve problems with ingenuity. However, his living did not come exclusively from moving and storage. He would do anything to make a buck, selling tomatoes from a wagon, using the front lawn as a 2nd hand store / used car lot, shoveling snow, painting, wall paper, drop ceilings, delivering flowers, pizzas and checks for UJB, cleaning, etc., there simply wasn't anything he wouldn't do. As a matter of "fact", he could run any company better than his bosses could and he wasn't afraid to tell'em how; let's just say they were not always receptive. His favorite pastime was shooting the shit. He would strike up a conversation with anyone, no matter if they wanted to or not. If you were where he was, then you had someone to talk with. Let's not kid ourselves though that didn't make him a fantastic listener. If you were lucky enough to have him around, he was indeed a great help as long as you let him do it his way. He could and would get on your last nerve, literally, nobody was immune, but he would be there in a minute to get you out of a jam. When assessing how many people he helped as compared to how many he might have offended, it was a tie; as it was determined for him to have helped you, meant you probably were with him long enough for him to have offended you as well. There was a soft gooey side behind the brawn. John loved his children. He kept every picture of them that was ever given to him. He wanted to be able to see his babies every day so he framed and hung most of them, but some of them were simply just taped to the wall. He had pictures everywhere; sometimes he had pictures on top of pictures. He enjoyed cooking and baking for his family and friends as well. When his children were small, he would share the cooking responsibilities including his most memorable dishes: S.O.S.; fried-mashed potato sandwiches; fried chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, and creamed corn; grilled cheese and tomato soup; hot dogs, beans and macaroni; and spam sandwiches. Later, after his children had grown, he started baking cookies, pies, cakes, muffins, and anything else he could try. He would even take orders but by far the most common request was for his Jewish Apple Cake. The most important characteristic of John was that he lived by his terms. He was fortunate enough to have never failed at anything he did. That's not to say he met everyone's definition of success, rather he defined what success meant to him and he achieved it. Up until the day he decided to leave us, he made the decisions. He knew actions had consequences and he lived with them. He told it how he saw it, he didn't sugarcoat anything, his perspective was his reality, like it or not. He knew that facts were hard to come by and most people were simply offering opinions, in which he would state "Opinions are like a _ _ _ _ _ _ _, everybody has one." While John will be missed, he will not be forgotten. Family and friends are invited to the viewing on Wednesday, February 10 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm and Thursday, February 11 from 9:00am - 11:00am at Inglesby and Sons Funeral Home, 2426 Cove Road, Pennsauken, NJ 08109; where visitors may pay their respects at the door or within the chapel. Services are Thursday, February 11 at 11:00am with burial to follow at Locustwood Memorial Park. Visitation services will be held in accordance with COVID guidelines, therefore limiting individuals within the facilities. Due to the overwhelming support and love for John, we ask to please be considerate of the family and others wishing to pay respects.

John Jacob Mertz, Sr.

April 25, 1944 - February 2, 2021