John A. Holzberger

12/3/1960 - 1/7/2017

John Andrew Holzberger, 56, of LAGRANGEVILLE, NY passed away at home on Saturday, January, 7, 2017.

John was born in Poughkeepsie, NY and was a lifetime resident of Lagrangeville, NY.

He attended Arlington High School and Dutchess Community College, where he obtained an Associate's Degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering. Throughout his life, John was always a hard worker and extremely intelligent, especially in math and science. As a child, he enjoyed doing science experiments, figuring out how things worked, fixing, and building things. Eventually he went on to build a few homes in the Lagrange and nearby Poughkeepsie area, including his own.

He was always working, building, or figuring out how to improve something, be it a piece of furniture, a shelf or cabinet, something as small as a coat rack or as large as a complete home renovation. When his eldest daughter said she wished for a bigger bedroom, he didn't just laugh it off and tell her to be grateful for what she has - he pulled out grid paper and a ruler and drew out a plan to extend her bedroom. Not long after, the plan was made reality. When his youngest daughter wanted her room repainted, he was already set to drive to Home Depot before she even picked the new color. The house he built and raised his children in was his pride and joy, second only to his family. John also owned apartments in Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls, and was well known as "the best landlord," according to his tenants.

There was nothing John couldn't do. If he didn't understand something or wasn't sure how to do it, he would teach himself how - a trait he instilled upon his daughters. "I can't" was not in his vocabulary - instead it was "How can I..."

John enjoyed many things, including hosting family barbecues throughout the warm months and setting off fireworks for July 4th, grilling and cooking, a swim in his pool, comedy shows, spending time with his family, traveling on vacations, scuba diving, and of course, an ice cold beer with friends.

He was an expert pool and billiards player, and was always happy to play a game on the original Brunswick Gold Crown table he purchased when he was just 16 years old. He also enjoyed riding dirt bikes and motorcycles with his friends. As a small child, he even attended the 1964 New York World's Fair - where he promptly got lost. His penchant for exploring and learning was apparent from an early age.

In his earliest years, John worked for Hatfield Metal Fabrication, Inc., using the lathe to manufacture parts for various industries. He went on to work at IBM for over 30 years, holding various titles during his time, from Mechanical Design Engineer to Project Manager, and even internal teaching and training of employees. During his time at IBM, John was able to travel all over the world for various business trips, including France, Germany, and two trips to Thailand. He was the only person you'll ever meet that could say they toured all of France in an hour!

John lived a full life, with a loving family and a wonderful home. He worked hard to make sure his family always had everything they needed, and more. He was constantly thinking ahead, always prepared for whatever the future could bring. He was the person his friends would call if they needed help or had a technical question, because they knew he would always be willing to provide assistance or solve their problem.

While vacationing in Disney, he was the first to notice a small child fall into a swimming pool, and before the parents could even react, he had already pulled the child out of the water and saved her from drowning. While on a bus tour during family vacation in Mexico, a box truck had broken down and blocked the tour bus from passing by on the unfinished, narrow, one-lane road. The entire group of 30+ people were stuck in the jungle in a remote part of Cozumel. The truck was abandoned, and the tour guide and driver didn't know what to do. John was the first to suggest and volunteer to push the truck off the dirt path and out of the way so the tour bus could get by. Thanks to his help, they were able to clear the path and resume the tour. These are just a few of many selfless acts he performed without a second thought.

He was very friendly - the first to say "Hello" or smile at a stranger passing by, and would always respond to "How are you?" with "Good, yourself?" - often enough that his eldest daughter went years thinking Good was just a shortened version of "Goodyourself." He had a great sense of humor and a unique laugh that you could always pick out of a crowd.

John is survived by his two daughters; Christina Holzberger, 27, of Brooklyn, NY, and Danielle Holzberger, 20, of Chino, CA; his sister, Margaret M. Holzberger; his brother George Holzberger and his sister-in-law Cindy Holzberger; his mother Margaret H. Holzberger (nee Wohrmann); his niece, Kelly Holzberger, all of Lagrangeville, NY; his former spouse, Denise Holzberger, of Poughquag, NY; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He is predeceased by his father, George Holzberger, his paternal grandparents, George and Martha Holzberger, and his maternal grandparents, Phillip and Margaret Wohrmann.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to his daughter, Christina Holzberger c/o McHoul Funeral Home, to assist with his final arrangements.

A Memorial Service will be scheduled in the spring and will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements are under the direction of the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., Hopewell Junction, NY, 845-221-2000, www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.