John Albert Engel

John Albert Engel, 88, a longtime resident of Remsen and husband of Elaine (née Lynch), passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife Elaine, his daughters Dawn Frawley, Sherry (Todd) Jock and his son David (Amy) Engel. He is also survived by his sisters Sage Engel and Roberta (John) Rowntree, and predeceased by his brother Douglas.

John was born in Amsterdam, NY, on April 17, 1937, a son of Douglas W. and Kathryn (Crane) Engel. He grew up in Utica, where he completed his education, graduating from Utica Free Academy.

It was in high school that John met the love of his life, Elaine, and they were united in marriage on August 1, 1959 at the Highland Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Later the couple settled near Remsen, where they raised their family.

Young John first worked at a gas station and then a shoe store. Later he took up the electrical trade, becoming an apprentice electrician with a local contractor with a similar name, Gus Engler. John became a master electrician and established his own company, Engel Electric, Inc. of Utica. Over many years of commercial, industrial and residential electrical work, his reputation for providing honest, quality service earned him many loyal customers throughout Central New York.

As a spiritual man, he lived his faith. On July 31,1958, John and Elaine were baptized during the “Divine Will” International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses, held at Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds in New York City. The baptism took place at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, and over 7,000 were baptized that day. Early in their marriage, John and Elaine became members of the newly formed Boonville Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where John served as an elder and a loving shepherd for decades. He was known for his kindness, generosity and loyalty to his spiritual brothers and sisters. He enjoyed visiting many other congregations throughout New York, where he gave Bible-based lectures and made life-long friends. In imitation of Jesus, John and his family regularly participated in the house-to-house ministry, sharing the good news of God’s Kingdom and studying with those who wanted to learn more about the Bible’s message of hope.

John also volunteered his skills as an electrician to assist in the building of Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls in several states. Many of these projects were “quick-builds”; the majority being constructed and finished by a team of Witnesses in just one weekend, and often ready for services on Sunday. John forged many of his most treasured friendships doing this work.

Although he was enthusiastic about many things - boats, cars, reading - his love of music stood out. He learned to play piano, cornet and trumpet, and was a true jazz aficionado. He saw in person jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, and Dave Brubeck.

Family life was of the utmost importance to John. His travels with Elaine and their children invariably took them to the beach, the lake or the river. John had three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and they all loved going on the boat with Grandpa . . . Heather (Paul) Smith, Crystal (Michael) Pimpinella, Caleb (Alexa) Jock, and great-granddaughters Carly and Katie Pimpinella.

John firmly believed in the Bible’s promise of a future earthly resurrection, when “all those in the memorial tombs will hear [Jesus’] voice and come out.” (John 5:28, 29) His family and friends eagerly await the day when they will welcome him back on a paradise earth. (Revelation 21:3, 4)

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 585 Trenton Road, Utica, NY. To leave an on-line message of sympathy, please go to www.trainorfuneralhome,com