John was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. He completed his college studies at the University of Tennessee: where he met and married his wife Kathy. They moved to Massachusetts in 1989 where they became members of St. Mark's Church Southborough. In 1994 they welcomed their daughter Rachel into their lives. She currently lives in Boulder CO where she is a Biologist and an Herbal Apothecary.

His other interests included, Software Engineering, Molecular Biology, Rotary International, Music, Cribbage and the new family dog: 'Tillie' a rescue Chocolate Lab.