John Wesley Veach

John Wesley Veach, 75, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at Franciscan Health in Lafayette. John had a great run, living fully while dealing with several chronic conditions for many years. He led by example, making light of his ailments by referring to their symptoms as “features.” He loved his family and worked hard to support them and show how deeply he cared.
In his final years, Parkinson’s Disease led him to join the Rock Steady Boxing gym at Westminster Village as well as the Speak Out program at Purdue University. The people in these programs gave him so much, in camaraderie, support, and a captive audience for his penchant for quoting from the movie Hoosiers. They helped him feel that he wasn’t alone in the struggle.
John was born in Herrin, Ill., to Carl and Lottie Veach, a librarian and a bookkeeper. Both parents preceded him in death, along with his sister, Sally Holub, and his second wife, Gail Hughes.
He is survived by a sister, Janet Finello; six children, Julie, Aaron, Adam, Andrew, AJ, and Anthony; their mother, Phyllis Raso Veach; two nieces, Allison and Jennifer Gennaro; and six grandchildren, with one more on the way.
He moved to the Chicago area, and then to Lafayette in 1972 to take a job as a Computer Programmer in the earlier days of computing (and punch cards) at Purdue University. He retired from an insurance company in 2010. John was a passionate Purdue sports fan and a long-distance runner. As the years went by, he lost his youthful speed but not his joy for the sport, as evidenced by his motto: “Start out slow, and taper off.” Through running John coached cross country for Special Olympics and raised funds for cancer research, ever generous with time and money.
For the past two years, John lived in Cumberland Pointe, where he had formed close connections. His family is grateful to the nurses, staff, and residents, who showed great care and enriched his life at the end.
Please consider a donation in John’s memory to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association.
Soller-Baker Funeral Home is handling the cremation, according to his wishes. And his family will host a celebration of life at a later date, with an all-60s music playlist and Twinkies for all.