It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father and grandfather John Lewis Driver of Winchester, VA. He was preceded in death by his parents Ruth Landis and Sidney Driver, beloved wife Carol Weekley Driver, siblings Audrey, Donald, Sidney, Blanche and his grandson Nick Harman who he adored. He is survived by his daughter Leslie Harman, granddaughter, Rachel Harman, brother Beverly (Susan), many adoring nieces and nephews, other family members, friends, and neighbors. He was a remarkable man and loved by all.

John was born and raised in Timberville, VA on a working farm. After high school, he served in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1957. John later attended and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Va Tech) in 1962 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. John and his daughter shared many fond stories of their times at Virginia Tech, including a dorm room fire he started his freshman year (engineering experiment) causing his expulsion from the dorm. His only ask of his daughter was to not follow the same path.

After college, John began his career at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company where he designed and tested nuclear submarine mechanical systems. While he thought it was a thrilling job with many adventures, his wife Carol who he married in 1962 was not so thrilled. John and Carol met on a blind date and weeks later, they eloped. Their marriage lasted until Carol’s death in 2017.

In1965, John started working at the Naval Weapons Station in Yorktown where he retired in 1993 with a distinguished career, winning numerous awards throughout his tenure. A talented craftsman he was always working on household and automotive projects to include raising a sinking house, adding a spiral staircase and skylights, building decks, converting a patio into a greenroom, rebuilding cars, building a laundry room, and so much more. He was meticulous with his projects and he could fix anything electrical or mechanical. Because he grew up on a farm, there was always a garden in his yard, and he even started raising honeybees as a side project. He was also an avid reader and the smartest man we ever knew.

His role as a parent and grandparent is what mattered the most to him. He was the neighborhood spook house host, allowed tents in the entire house all summer, and he loved family annual beach trips to the Outer Banks. He was his daughter’s hero throughout her life and her rock throughout any adversity. As a grandparent he was fully immersed in his grandchildren’s lives from putting his granddaughter’s hair in a bun for dance class, to planting gardens with them, outdoor movies, sleepovers, and annual oyster fries with his grandson. He was family videographer with his own clever narration which we always enjoyed. There are so many treasured memories with him that we will always cherish. His brilliance, sense of humor and ability to wiggle his ears will always endure in our hearts and minds as we say goodbye to the best man we know.

A private graveside ceremony will be held with family.  There will not be any services at Grandle Funeral Home in Broadway.