John R. Broughton

John Robert Broughton, 85, passed away on July 2, 2024.  He was born on August 20, 1938 in Marietta, OH to the late Robert Dale Broughton and June Fenn Chandler Broughton.

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Jean Starcher Broughton, whom he married on April 28, 1963.  He is also survived by his son, Paul R. Broughton, five grandchildren, Tristan E. Broughton (Jacklyn Bishop), Keatan M. Broughton (Joseph Wheeling), Joseph J. Broughton (Madison Hall), Megan J. Broughton, Carolyn J. Broughton, and by his daughter-in-law, Lynn Hambrick Broughton.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his son, David J. Broughton on February 10, 2023, and his sister Susan Broughton-Phillips on August 2, 2008.

John was an incredible person with so many talents. His intelligence was unmatched by most. His knowledge of mathematics, trucks, trains, boats, computers, photography and music was received with awe by those who knew him best. John graduated from Marietta High School in 1956 and from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1960.  He was a proud Army veteran and served his country with honor in the Ohio National Guard. In college, John served as the head photographer and editor of the yearbook for his junior and senior years.

After marriage and children, John created a dark room in his basement and taught his sons how to process film and develop black and white photographs.

He read voraciously and visited the Washington County Public Library weekly. He was a member of the Marietta Boat Club and the Mid-Ohio Valley Model Railroad club for many years.  He bought his first boat (Pipestone Mariner) when his sons were 13 and 11 years old. The whole family went to Dillon Lake and there they all learned about boating together, as John was always willing to explain how to do things.  Although he had several different boats throughout his life, his last boat, the Weather Oar Knot, took him on many a wonderful trip with his first mate, Jean. They traveled down the TennTom (Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway) to Florida and ventured to the Keys and Bahamas creating exciting stories to share with his family. His knowledge of map reading and ocean depths paled in comparison to his knowledge of steam engines and model railroad trains. Along with his sons, he built an amazing model railroad train display in the basement of his house.  He put in a digital command control, had multiple tracks, hills, tunnels, and of course, Broughton’s Dairy. He furthered this passion with the help of some train buddies by painting the background scenery with intricate details.  His knowledge of trucks developed at a young age while being around the dairy. He was a serious truck driver and probably would’ve made that his living, except his knowledge of mathematics took precedence.

His first job was with Broughton’s Farm Dairy, Food Division, as a production superintendent. He then ran the Truck Garage at the Dairy for many years. The whole family has heard stories about how to drive a B-Model Mack with duplex transmission. In 1983, computers came onto the scene and John found a new hobby.  He learned how to write code for the Dairy.  For example, he made a program for the TI-39 programmable calculator to calculate three simultaneous equations for standardizing milk. This was a huge benefit to the lab employees at the dairy. That was only the beginning of his computer accomplishments. He continued to write code to help increase productivity at the dairy for years to come, even after he retired. However, he will most likely be remembered by the job he had for many years at Broughton Foods Company as Treasurer.

John developed his love for music at a young age.  He was a member of the band during his high school years and he loved listening to John Philip Sousa marches. He was an avid classical musician and played the bassoon in the Marietta College Symphonette. He was a regular attendee of the WV Symphony Orchestra and supported all things musical, especially if it involved his grandchildren.  He was always in the audience for band concerts, choir concerts, piano recitals, dance performances, and any other activity his grandchildren were involved in.  He was a wonderful grandfather to all of his grandchildren and will be deeply missed by them. He was the patriarch of our family and he led us with a strong hand and determination.

Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 on Friday, July 5, 2024 at the MARIETTA CHAPEL OF CAWLEY & PEOPLES FUNERAL HOME. A private graveside service with full military honors will be observed.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s name to the Mid-Ohio Valley Model Railroad or the Marietta College Music Dept.

Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home is honored to serve the Broughton family and offers online condolences as well as many other resources by visiting www.CawleyandPeoples.com or by following their Facebook page.