John Arnold Ballantine passed away due to medical complications on January 14th, 2025. Born to Ada and Eugene Ballantine in Proctor, VT on April 20th, 1939. John was the only child of six born in a hospital, "they took home the wrong baby", his siblings would joke.

John was predeceased by his brother Roland and sister Edna. John leaves behind three older siblings; Norma, Donald and Herbert.

John leaves an empty hole for his spouse, Beverly Ballantine. She was the greatest love of his life and the only one that could keep him in check.

John has six children (John, Juanita, Wanda, Rhonda, Michael, and Nicole) and two stepchildren (Diane and Leon); John left behind 22 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren and countless nieces, nephews and cousins and his precious cat Mittens and bird Pedro.

John was a proud Army Veteran specializing in mechanical work, and he even returned with a group to provide entertainment to troops. John was a current member of the Am Vets and several other organizations, he loved helping out local charities and neighbors any chance that he could. He even started a neighborhood watch in his park.

"Never trust an old man with a guitar", such a fitting saying, and truer words were never spoken, as John was fun, loving, and charismatic. His dazzling smile captured many hearts, and his fart jokes rolled many eyes. But to know him was to love him, and he knew so many people!!

John lived to sing and make music; he was born with a tune in his heart and a beat in his soul. He mastered the guitar, banjo, and dobro (steel guitar). John was extremely musically inclined and was always the life of the party. He even played in a band with his close friends and siblings, the "Better Than Nothing" band. "We aren't very good", he would say, "but we are better than nothing".

John was a jack of all trades and a charming salesman. He loved field picking at Bluegrass Festivals, races, camping, cooking, working on vehicles, and most things outdoors. John loved to organize the golf cart parade in his park in Florida. John loved to have fun and be silly, he especially loved farting toys or ones that would swear. When John was younger, he was even a gifted ventriloquist with a creepy doll that would scare his friends and family. John was someone who could show you how to love and how to be loved, and he could show you how to have fun, even just a little.

John's smile was contagious. He lit up a room when he walked in. He kept his head held high even in hard times and that is what we must do now; hold our heads up and smile because even though we lost a great man, he would not want us to grieve too deeply for him. He wouldn't want us to not live our lives to the fullest, because that is what he tried to do each and every day.

"Age is just a number, its what's in your mind that counts"

A Celebration of Life for John will be hosted the weekend of March 9th at 11AM at the AmVets Post 550 in Zephyrhills, FL with a Military Burial in Bushnell, FL on March 10th, 2025, at 2pm. There will also be a Celebration of Life held in New England at a later determined date/time, for more information please contact a member of Johns immediate family