March 21, 1946 - Jan. 26, 2013

NORTH WEBSTER — John Robert Alley, 66, of North Webster, formerly of Elkhart, passed away among family and loved ones at 1:28 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, at his home after an extended illness.

He was born on March 21, 1946, in Anderson to the late John C. and Elsie (Harrell) Alley.

He was raised in Pendleton and graduated in 1964 from Pendleton High School. In 1968, he received his B.A. in industrial arts and physical education from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, and graduated in 1970 from Ball State University in Muncie with a master’s degree in education.

On June 29, 1968, in Pendleton, he married Rita Kay James, who survives.

He has been coming to Tippecanoe Lake and the North Webster area since he was 7 years old.

He began his teaching career in 1969 with Elkhart Community Schools and retired from there in 2009 after 40 years of service. His fondest memories in life was being the head wrestling coach for 25 years, coaching at Brookfield Jr. High School from 1970 until its closing in 1984 and at Elkhart Central High School from 1984 to 1995. At that time he decided to move on and enjoy his lake home more.

In 1994, he was one of the co-founders for setting up the Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education (I.C.E.) program for Elkhart Community Schools. Now there are many doctors, lawyers, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, veterinarians, as well as other occupations that Elkhart community businesses helped John by hiring the students during their senior year in those fields to see if that was their goal in life.

He was a member of the ISWA, AAU Freestyle Wrestling, Elkhart Rotary and received the Key to the City from Elkhart Community Schools. He was named the 1994 State Association Co-op Coordinator of the year and served as president in 1995.

John was loved and known for “summer time at the lake” by his 14 nieces and nephews and 16 great-nieces and great-nephews residing all over the country.

He is survived by his wife; daughter Amy Kay (Jon) Steiner of Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. ; son Robert John “Bob” (Jamie) Alley of Elkhart; six loving grandchildren who called him ‘Pap,’ Michael and Nicholas Holdread, Brandon and Kayla Alley and Sydney and Hunter Dolson; sisters Julane (Vic) Shepard, Judy Alley and Jane (Benny) Sabie, all of Pendleton, and Sue (Jim) Kendall of Winter Haven, Fla.; and brother Tom Alley of Pendleton.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Joan Ice.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, at Owen Family Funeral Home, 8056 E. 500N, North Webster. Funeral services will follow at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home with the Rev. Claude Creel of the Huntsville Good Shepherd Church in Pendleton officiating. Private family burial will take place at a later date.

Memorial bequests may be given to the donor’s choice. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

To send condolences to the family in Mr. Alley’s memory, visit www.owenfamilyfuneralhome.com.

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