Obituary: John T. Powers, 56, of Salem

John T. Powers, age 56 of Salem, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 8, 2014, surrounded by his loving family after a lengthy illness.

Born in Salem to Rosamond Powers and the late J. Donald Powers, he was a graduate of Salem High School’s Class of 1976. Just weeks after graduation, John and his best buddies embarked on an epic cross-country adventure in a classic VW bus. But he returned to Salem and became a husband and father to Trisha and Sean. John worked at GTE Sylvania for many years. He later became an IT consultant and was also employed by Home Depot.

John was an avid sports fan who closely followed all the Boston professional teams. In his youth he played hockey and soccer and as an adult greatly enjoyed playing in a softball league for several years. He was a truly artistic soul who had a talent for drawing, painting and photography. He saw his Kempo karate practice as a creative expression and dabbled in meditation and Tai Chi. John also considered himself a foodie and loved to cook. He was always searching out exotic ingredients and took pride in his own vegetable garden.

John saw life through his unique, unselfconscious perspective and always found the humor in any situation. He will be greatly missed by his beloved family and friends and is survived by his loving son Sean of Salem, former wife Trisha Powers of Salem, mother Roz Powers of Salem, brother David and his wife Patty Powers of Danvers, sisters Kathy Powers and Anne Powers of Salem and Beth Powers of Lynn. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Visiting hour will be on Monday, May 12 2014 in the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St, Salem from 4:00P.M to 8 P.M A memorial gathering will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, online donations can be made in memory of John T. Powers to The Crohn’s and Colitis Center at giving.massgeneral.org. Checks must be made payable to Massachusetts General Hospital and can be mailed to: The Crohn’s and Colitis Center In Memory of John T. Powers c/o MGH Development Office, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 1310 Boston, MA 02114. For online guest book or additional information please call 978 744 0497 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.