John Charles Capellman, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, passed away on May 9, 2026, at the age of 84.

Born on July 3, 1941, John was the beloved husband of Phyllis M. Capellman. A U.S. Army veteran, John served his country honorably and carried that sense of duty throughout his life.

After receiving Medical Laboratory Services training while in the Army, John worked in laboratories at Walter Reed and later spent 25 years repairing equipment at countless hospitals and universities for Fisher Scientific.

A longtime servant of the church during his time as a member of Shepherd Park Christian Church, Rockville Christian Church, Aspen Hill Christian Church and Charles Town Baptist Church, including as a deacon and elder, John was often the first person to offer newcomers a gregarious, warm greeting, and he usually had the biggest laugh in any room. Faith and church were always paramount to John. He leaned on that faith through difficult times and gave thanks for it during the bountiful harvests of his life.

Frequently on the road for service calls, and well before GPS, John always kept a large collection of well-worn, highlighted, and annotated road maps within arm’s reach. His family fondly remembers him studying them carefully, and how those maps represented the lengths he would go to support them.

Those travels, combined with his gregarious nature, meant John frequently ran into someone he knew, wherever he went.

Music was a big part of John’s life. This was instilled in him at a young age by his mother, Ethel, a church choir director, who told him, “I need a tenor, and you’re it.” That nudge helped lead him to his future wife, Phyllis, whom he met in the choir at Shepherd Park Christian Church. They were married in 1963.

While his mother also pushed him to learn the piano, John instead gravitated to the trumpet, which he played in the marching band at Har-Brack High School in his hometown of Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania. A key consideration, he would recall fondly, was that a piano had 88 keys, while the trumpet had just three valves, which seemed much simpler.

John understood the value of simplicity. It made it easier for him to find joy, contentment, and gratitude in life. It also helped him express his love and appreciation for others, along with his own jokes. A frequent example: If someone complained about something hurting, he would say, “Well, let me step on your foot. Then you won’t notice the pain in your arm,” followed by his own booming laugh.

His ability to disarm strangers, colleagues, family, and friends alike, as well as his willingness to help others in need, will be remembered fondly.

John was preceded in death by his parents, John Wentling Capellman and Ethel Irene Elsenrath Capellman, and his sister, Anne.

He is survived by his wife, Phyllis M. Capellman; his children, Chad Capellman and his wife, Jessica Palomino, Charles Capellman and his wife, Jennifer Capellman, and Amanda Aguilar; and seven grandchildren, Lily, Brooks, Christian, Sebastian, Mateo, Elijah, and Liam.

A service will be held on May 30 at 11 a.m. at Charles Town Baptist Church, 222 South Mildred Street, Charles Town, West Virginia 25414.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Dementia Society of America or the Alzheimer’s Association (in support of dementia research, caregiver resources, and families affected by memory loss), the Wounded Warrior Project or Samaritan's Purse.