John Rodney Lothrop was born Jan. 3, 1946, to John Arthur and Rowena Adams Lothrop. He passed away peacefully May 4, 2024, in Albany, New York, after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, with his family by his side.
John was raised in Crete, attending Crete Public Schools and Doane College. He was involved with sports, worked on his grandfather's farm and later also at the Crete Mill, and volunteered for many positions. Many remember him best for his time on the football field at Doane as a standout defensive end who helped the 1965 Tiger team start Doane’s historic 38-game winning streak.
John was a quiet man, but a “tiger” on the football field. Doane remained an important part of John’s life and he continued to be intimately involved. John’s son, Griffin, also attended Doane, along with many other family members. A tree will be planted on the Doane campus in memory of John, close to the trees dedicated to his mother and grandmother, both of whom also attended Doane.
After many years living in Longmont, Colorado, John and his wife returned to Crete in 2002 and remained until 2016, when they moved to Sedona, Arizona. John was very active with The First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Crete. He held many leadership positions within the Church. Through the Church, John was introduced to ConstruCasa, a non-profit organization that builds houses in Guatemala. John was devoted to this project and made eight trips to Guatemala, making many new friends along the way. He also served on their board of directors, assisting in guiding and building the organization. John actively reached out to others to join in this worthwhile project.
John was involved in additional mission work with Re-Member, a non-profit organization working with the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. With Re-Member, he led several groups to Pine Ridge to build bunk beds for children.
While in Crete, John was also active with the Rotary Club of Crete. Through his activities with Rotary, he found many outlets to fulfill his mission of extending the reach of Christ. John will be remembered for his quiet demeanor, a man who selflessly gave to others.
John is survived by his loving wife, Gale; his two sons, Christopher Hodkins and Griffin (Amanda) Lothrop; and his two granddaughters, Annabelle and Bernadette Lothrop, all of New York. Also surviving him are his siblings, Richard (Dale) Lothrop, Rhoda Miller (Maryann Reese), Marcia (Rod) Theis and three nephews and their families, Norman (Janet) Lothrop, Nick (Rachel) Theis, and Aaron Theis. He will be dearly missed by his family, to whom he was devoted.
A memorial service will be held in Crete at the First Congregational UCC on July 20.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Adams Family Scholarship Fund, Doane University, 1014 Boswell, Crete, NE 68333.
