John George Mohrlein, Sr.

COLCHESTER - It is with profound sadness that the family of John George Mohrlein, Sr., announces his peaceful passing on the morning of Monday, January 9, 2017.
He left us on the family farm where he entered life on November 3, 1938, the middle child and only son of German immigrants, the late Johann and Elisabeth (Kuenzner) Mohrlein.
John was a lifelong resident of Colchester, attending grade school and then studying the trades at both Vinal and Norwich State Technical Schools.  However, his senior year, was spent rounding out his studies at Bacon Academy, graduating with the Class of 1956.
While on a senior class trip to Washington, DC., John met then high school sophomore - Arlene Louise Gandolf of Flushing, NY.  A two-year courtship continuing through John's tenure in the Marine Corps, culminated with them joining together in marriage on Dec. 20, 1958 at St. Luke Church in Whitestone, NY.
Arlene moved to the farm – a world apart from Queens – while John completed his tour of duty in the Corps in 1959, being honorably discharged at the rank of Lance Corporal.  While in the service, he continued to hone his skills as a mechanic and was able to experience Southern Europe while on tour in the Mediterranean.
Early on, John worked for the late Dwight H. Marvin and his late son, Loren, as a mechanic at their dealership in Colchester, while also driving a school bus for the former Clark’s Transportation and tending to work on the farm.
In 1961, just a few weeks before the birth of their first child, his family suffered the tragic and sudden loss of his father and a year later, months before the birth of their second child, the passing of his mother.
Together, John and Arlene made the decision to take the farm from small scale and build it into a larger dairy operation, while continuing to work as a mechanic at D.H. Marvin. As the family grew, so did the farm, along with the help of many appreciated farm hands over those next three decades.  
In the early 1980’s, he took a position with the Colchester Highway Department prior to conducting an auction of his dairy herd in the Fall of 1985.  The next morning, however, he baffled many by buying back 16 head of cattle the very next day – but now only to be a “hobby” for the next 15 years or so.
During his tenure with the Town of Colchester, his die-hard work ethic would bring him up the ranks quickly as First Assistant, and then Road Foreman, as well as his appointment as Tree Warden for the town.  In 1993, he then took a position as Assistant Foreman and fleet mechanic for the Hebron Public Works Department until his “retirement” in 2004.
However, retirement to John only meant that he would no longer receive a paycheck every two weeks.  He continued to work tirelessly each and every day. John took great pride and dedication in maintaining his equipment and property, as well as his eager and willingness to help, guide; engineer; fix; and generally SUPERVISE any project of both his family and friends alike.
He held a great respect for the land (as in his words, “they’re not making any more”). He  leaves a gift to us all by having been such a great steward of that tract of land on Route 16 that has been enjoyed, photographed, and painted by so many over the decades.
In addition to his devoted wife of 58 years, he leaves his four children – Arlene “Tootsie” Roberts (and her partner, Jacqueline Rowell), John, Jr. (and his wife, Theresa), Cheryl Mohrlein (and her companion, Paul Kratochvil) and Wayne (and his wife, Valerie); four grandchildren, Jennifer Mohrlein (and her husband, Eno Tollkuci), Dana Mohrlein, John, III (and Fillip Saraiva) and Taylor Watson; his recently welcomed great-granddaughter, Adriana Tollkuci; two sisters, Helen Russo (and her husband, Bob) and Anna Dill (and her late husband, John); Arlene’s siblings, Roger Gandolf (and his wife, Lyn), Craig Gandolf (and his partner, Steven LaQuaglia) and Hillary Bogi (and her husband, Andras); five step-grandchildren, Tim Roberts (and his wife, Erin), Laura Harbec (and her husband, Doug) and Thomas, Katelyn and Scott Dunbar; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
The family would like to express their most sincere appreciation to the staff of Middlesex Hospital, especially Dr. Todd Bishop, with whom he shared a unique relationship.
Friends may call from 4 to 7 PM Wednesday (January 11th) at the Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home, 167 Old Hartford Road, Colchester.
The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated 10:30 AM Thursday (January 12th) directly at St. Andrew Church, 128 Norwich Avenue, Colchester.  Burial with military honors will follow in the family plot at the New St. Andrew Cemetery, Gillette’s Lane, Colchester.
As John was a former volunteer member, and in recognition of going above and beyond for both the family and community-at-large, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory be made to the Colchester-Hayward Vol. Fire Co., 18-54 Old Hartford Road, Colchester 06415.  For online condolences, please visit http://www.auroramccarthyfuneralhome.com/