John L Rennish Jr., 59 years old of Woodbridge, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly on August 10, 2021.
John was born in Brooklyn, New York to John L. Rennish Sr and Rose Cello on October 31,1961. From an early age, John loved to make people laugh. He attended school at Kings Park Junior High on Long Island, New York and graduated from Kings Park Senior High School in 1979. During this time he was very involved in his high school drama club and performed in several leading roles.
Following high school John moved to Virginia with his family where he started college. In 1983, he graduated from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. where he majored in theater and minored in accounting. Originally John wanted to become an actor and took on various jobs in entertainment. He worked as an extra in Columbia Pictures movie “Spring Break” and in the CBS mini-series “George Washington”. In 1985 he took a job as a performing waiter at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel. John loved theater, acting, and performing. He also loved entrepreneurship. John and his father started a video production company together. They documented all kinds of occasions and filmed training videos for schools. He always had a camera in his hand.
John was also an avid weightlifter. In 1985 he was awarded 1st place in the “East Coast Bench Press Championship”. He continued with weightlifting most of his life, and enjoyed ski trips with friends. Shortly after college John bought a Domino’s Pizza Franchise in Springfield, Massachusetts and poured ALL of his time in to running a successful business. As a business owner, John gave back to his local community, and was recognized for his generosity. John was so successful he retired at the age of 41!
Unfortunately, John also had a blood disorder- HHT, that made his veins and arteries more fragile and prone to bleeding. Due to this condition, he had a major stroke shortly after retirement. He returned to Virginia to be close to family and start the rehabilitation process, where he had to relearn many of the activities of daily living. With the support of his family, he was able to live independently in Woodbridge Virginia and continued to pursue all his interests. John began to take classes in computers, learning to diagnose and fix complicated computer problems. He became very active in his faith and was passionate about meditation, mindfulness, and being at peace. In 2019, after years of studying Buddhism, John fulfilled a longtime dream and made a pilgrimage to India.
John had a great sense of humor, was thoughtful of others and loved to buy whimsical gifts for family and friends. When faced with a challenge, John always rose to the occasion. He touched many lives and will be deeply missed.
John Rennish Jr is preceded in death by father John Rennish Sr, step mother Patricia Rennish, and beloved niece Jasmine Rennish.
John Rennish Jr. is survived by his mother Rose (Cello) Kostas, sister Denise Shifflett, brother Greg Rennish, and Sister Veronica Owen. His lifelong friends, Jim Orlando, Len Titone, and Lance Grach share in the family’s loss.
