John William Gellings Jr.

John William Gellings Jr., age 78, of Flushing, Michigan, passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Covenant Medical Center–Harrison in Saginaw, Michigan, with his wife, Nancy, and family at his bedside.

He was born February 21, 1948, at Saint Joseph Hospital in Flint, Michigan, to John and Christine (Wittmers) Gellings. John graduated from Saint Michael’s Catholic High School in Flint, Michigan, in 1966.

John served in the United States Army from December 7, 1967, to November 25, 1969, and was discharged as a Specialist 4. He served as an MP4 (Military Police Officer) at Phu Bai, Vietnam, from November 1968 through November 1969.

On April 29, 1967, he married Nancy Hayden, the love of his life. Together they built a life centered on their daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

John worked for General Motors from 1966 to 1999, in the AC Spark Plug Division in Flint, Michigan. He worked hard and was a wonderful provider. He was a man’s man. He loved watching sports and westerns, and if it was outdoors, he enjoyed it: hunting, fishing, and gardening. He hunted small game, rabbit and pheasant, and deer, and he also hunted bear and elk. He fished the inland lakes and the Great Lakes, and he fished in Alaska, his dream fishing excursion. What he brought home, meat, fish, and the garden, helped feed his family.

As he grew into retirement, he discovered his creative side and began woodworking, bringing his love of the outdoors indoors. He created anything from furniture, birdhouses, and home decor to hand-carved wood sprites from cottonwood tree bark.

He was a devoted husband, never shy about showing affection to Nancy, a loving father, and a friend. In their teen years he delighted in embarrassing the girls, bringing an ATV helmet to driver’s training or dropping them at a school dance and yelling “I love you!” out the truck window. He taught his grandchildren to be kind, gentle, and fun, and shared the outdoors with them: hunting, fishing, and tending a garden from planting to harvest. He thought being a papa was the best, until the great-grandchildren came. Those babies could put the biggest smile on his face faster than anything.

John has left enough memories and joy to last his family and friends a lifetime.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughters Amy (Eric) Bocek and Lori (Dennis) Lavery; grandchildren Brianna Chadwell, Kyle (Miranda) Chadwell, Amber (Nolan) Poli, Ashleigh Nordstrom, and Logan (Chasity) Bott; great-grandchildren Braxton, Easton, Grayson, Mason, and Layton Bott, and Emerald Chadwell; siblings Christine Gellings, Marie (Dick) Yutendale, Marge (Tom) Jones, Rob (Sandy) Gellings, Dan (Kerrie) Gellings, and Tim (Linda) Gellings; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law John Hayden, David (Joy) Hayden, Steven (Kim) Hayden, Mark (Cheri) Hayden, Karen (Chris) Fron, and Katy (Dan) Graunstadt; many nieces and nephews; and his special furry friends, Buddy and Molly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Christine Gellings; his parents-in-law, Ernest Ralph Hayden and Marie Helen Hayden; his brother and sister-in-law, Herm and Bev Gellings; his sister-in-law Dena Hayden; his brother-in-law Tom Hayden; and his granddaughter Carly Bott.

Visitation will be held Monday, October 12, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Tuesday, October 13, from 10 to 11 a.m., at Sharp Funeral Homes, Miller Road Chapel, 8138 Miller Road, Swartz Creek, with the funeral service at 11 a.m. The funeral service will be live streamed and available to view on John’s obituary page at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com. 

John will be cremated following the service. Burial will be Thursday, October 15, at 1:30 p.m. at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan, with arrival at 1:15 p.m. Those desiring may direct memorial contributions in John’s memory to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, MD 21741. Tributes may be shared at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com