John Albert Giust, age 91, passed peacefully from this life, surrounded by family at his home in Brookhaven, MS, on December 6, 2020.
John was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 26, 1929, to Pellegrino and Iole Giust. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of nearly 70 years, Mona Lou Giust, née Searcy (Nov. 2019); their son John “Jack” Giust; and his brother Anthony Giust and sister Hertha Snyder.
John was a resident of the Dayton region for nearly 70 years. An Eagle Scout and graduate of Kiser High School, he was inducted into the Kiser High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 after garnering eight varsity letters and was named First Team All-City by the Dayton Daily News in 1947. John then served 30 years with the City of Dayton Fire Department retiring as a captain. He was also a small business owner (Federal Flooring and Maraldo Tile and Flooring). Later in life, he served eight years as an elected public official of the Lincoln County, MS, Election Commission (District 4).
John was the epitome of hard work, perfectionism and a true craftsman — there was little he could not do with his hands. He loved carpentry and gardening, and his annual fishing trips to Canada yielded legendary family fish fries. John’s smile and laugh were infectious, and he could frequently be found bouncing a baby on his knee and singing “Batti Batti Le Manine”.
The legacy of John and his wife Mona will endure through their proudest achievement, their children: Lisa (Mike) Flohr, Mark (Anna) Giust, Matthew (June) Giust and daughter-in-law, Lynn (Tom) Edwards; grandchildren: Amy (Mark) Fogel, Jack (Anna) Giust, Andrew (Jennifer) Vorhees, Elisha (Neil) Millar, Jason (Mary) Flohr, Steve (Stephanie) Flohr, Kelly (Dan) Worth, Ben (Katie) Giust, Kate (Cody) Kennedy, Emily (Caleb Rushton) Giust and Jeff (Misty) Cates; and 19 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Louis (Denna) Giust, numerous family and indelible, life-long friends (infamously and affectionately known as “The Gang”): Bob and Patsy Koenig, Nancy Petrosky and Betty Potter.
In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to the Dayton Firefighter Charitable Foundation. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.