John Thomas Yarnes, III, age 58, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 19, 2014 at the Woodcrest Apartments, where he resided in Somers.
Born on January 2, 1956 in Long Island, he was the son of Arlene (Schmitt) Yarnes of Somers and the late John T. Yarnes, Jr.
John grew up on Long Island with his family, at one point living at the dog training facility where he was employed in Freeport. He had a great passion for animals and loved that he not only got to train different dogs, but was privileged to see them off to worldwide destinations for their permanent homes.
John’s fondness for animals was beyond that of just dogs as well, he was fascinated by wolves and was the kind of man to stop to rescue a turtle to the local pond. In 1983, John relocated with his growing family to Somers, where he soon became employed as a technician building industrial oil burners. He was a very patriotic man who loved his country and had great pride in being an American.
John had the utmost respect for service personnel, including police officers, firefighters and those in the military. His appreciation for the men and women in uniform grew tremendously in 1991 following a near fatal motor vehicle accident. He and his family were and will always continue to be gracious to the Easter Seals, Somers Fire Department, CT State Troopers and paramedics that saved his life that day.
Everyone that had the pleasure of knowing John knew that they would always be greeted with a smile and a helping hand, and he will be sorely missed by many.
Along with his mother, Arlene, he is survived by his five children, Jason Yarnes and his wife, Sara, Nicole, Jonathan, Casey and Daniel Yarnes; his three grandchildren, Trent, Katrina and Riley, along with one of the way; and his sister, Teresa Yarnes.
In addition to his father, John was preceded in death by his former wife, Maureen (Halfpenny) Yarnes; and his brother, Joseph Yarnes.
A Memorial Gathering will take place on a to-be-determined date, where John’s family will receive relatives and friends from 2 to 4 p.m. at Somers Funeral Home, 354 Main St.
Burial will be held privately at the convenience of his family. In lieu of flowers, his family requested that memorial donations in John’s name be made to the Somers Fire Department, 400 Main St., Somers, CT 06071.
The above obituary is from the Leete Stevens Funeral Home website.
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