John Daniel Metzler, Jr., 73, of Industry, passed away on January 24th, 2026.
He was born on May 6th, 1952 and was preceded in death by his parents, John and Evelyn Metzler, and his in-laws, Howard and Dorothy Benson. John’s legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the community he served, and the family he loved so deeply. He will be missed beyond words. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 46 years, Cynthia L. Benson Metzler, his children, John D. Metzler III and his wife Emily of Mt. Airy, Maryland, Joshua J. Metzler and his wife Erica of Industry, PA, Cynthia F. Straile and her husband Joshua of Industry, and Joy L. Metzler and Jeffrey Snedden of Industry, and his grandchildren: Ava Metzler, John D. Metzler IV, Joshua A. Straile, Adelynn Dinsmore, and Abigail Dinsmore. He is also survived by his siblings, Richard Metzler and his wife, Joyce, Renee Curry and Darlene Kuban and her husband, Bill, Evelyn Kunkle and her husband, Mark, and Sharon Callahan and her husband, Mike, along with many nieces and nephews and their children who he loved following along with their sports and activities.
John lived a full, meaningful life rooted in faith, family, and community. He was the kind of man who showed up consistently and with his whole heart. As a child, he attended Assumption School in Pittsburgh, where he served as an altar boy, and later graduated from Avalon High School in 1971. Early in life, he followed a calling to become a Franciscan Friar. While that chapter shaped his faith and values, he ultimately chose a different path, one that included marriage to his beloved wife Cindy and later children. John worked hard his entire life. His previous employment includes a local steel mill, a truck driver, and eventually a supervisor at Neville Chemical where he worked until retirement. He dedicated over 20 years to serving on the Western Beaver School Board and spent 5 years as Western Beaver’s representative on the BCCTS board, always advocating for students and the community he loved. Family was at the center of everything he did. As his children grew, so did his involvement, coaching youth sports, serving on boards, lining fields, and making sure his kids had every opportunity to enjoy the things they loved. He coached BTB football and WLBRA baseball, proudly leading his beloved 90s Phillies team. Even when he wasn’t officially coaching, he could be found in the bleachers, on the sidelines or along the fence line, making sure his presence was known. One of his favorite roles in life was becoming a “Pappy”. He loved making his grandkids lunches, taking care of them and making sure they always had access to a sweet treat. He was always happy feeding people whether through Big John’s BBQ, his famous Thanksgiving Doughballs, Christmas Baklava or just simple dinner for his family. Nothing brought him more joy than hearing laughter around his table or his swimming pool. He loved cheering on the Steelers, playing golf, snow plowing the neighborhood during winter storms, and heading to the beach in the summer where you could find him under an umbrella. He took great pride in maintaining his swimming pool, not because he swam himself, but because he loved watching his wife, children, and grandchildren enjoy it. He also enjoyed driving the golf cart around the Western Beaver football field, setting things up for game day, a small task that perfectly captured who he was: dependable, humble, and always willing to help.
Friends will be received Friday, January 30th from 2-4:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in the Noll Funeral Home, Inc., 333 Third St., Beaver, who was in charge of his arrangements. A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at St. Blaise Roman Catholic Church, 772 Ohio Avenue, Midland on Saturday, January 31st at 10:30 a.m. Online condolences may be shared at nollfuneral.com.
