John Garee

John Garee was a loving husband, father and friend, In late November he noticed swollen lymph nodes in his neck and thought it was probably related to a recent Covid infection. However, when he went to the doctor they thought they were suspicious and referred for further testing. Biopsy in December showed an adenocarcinoma that we needed to find the source for. PET scan was scheduled for January 2, which showed he had esophageal cancer that had come from years of acid reflux despite being a never smoker and rare drinker. We took on a fight to battle the disease with chemotherapy, but he continued to lose weight with difficulty eating. On Wednesday, February 28 he went in for an outpatient procedure to get a feeding tube to hopefully help him gain the strength to continue to fight. He had a difficult placement and was having issues after with blood pressure so he was sent to the hospital for additional care. With a lot of ups and downs throughout the stay it ended with having to choose between an immediate surgery with an 82% chance of death and likely being on a vent or having a matter of hours. We were able to have about an hour to talk with him before he was really tired and wanted to sleep a little. He unfortunately never woke up and peacefully went to be with the Lord surrounded by his loved ones. He leaves behind his wife of 30 years and 24 year-old son and 20 year-old daughter who now have to figure out life without him.

The family is accepting memorials as a way to help cover some medical and funeral expenses.