John William Faulconbridge
June 5, 1956 - August 28, 2023
John was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania on June 5,1956, the son of John and Mary (Perrine) Faulconbridge. He married Rebecca Wright, who was his greatest love, on June 17, 1978 following graduation from West Point and together they began the great adventure of marriage.
Always a tanker at heart, John elected to serve in the Armor Branch during his time of active duty as an Army Officer. He served tours of duty at Fort Knox, KY, Fort Carson, CO, United States Army Garrison, Mannheim, Germany, and as the professor of Military Science at Salisbury State University, Salisbury, MD. John loved the Army and considered it an honor to be a member of the military.
After 15 years of service, Major Faulconbridge's military career was finished and he was hired by General Motors. In 1994, he began his nearly 30-year career as a supervisor at Flint Assembly. He worked at numerous plants in Michigan before transferring to the Distribution Center in Memphis, TN. After 15 years, he was transferred back to Michigan, where he worked at the Center for Human Resources in Detroit as a Safety Auditor, travelling to GM facilities across the US.
Johns final assignment before retirement was at what is now Factory Zero in Hamtramck as the lead Safety Supervisor. He was involved in the manufacture of the Electric Hummer from the beginning of the factory itself as he advised the implementation of safety protocols throughout the structure. His West Point education and military experience were invaluable as he ensured compliance and adapted procedures to ensure employee safety. When performance was found lacking, John saw himself as a teacher and a mentor rather than an enforcer. His work ethic was exemplary. During his time at Hamtramck, he was elected to serve as secretary on the Board of Directors of The Institute for Safety and Health Management. John retired from General Motors on June 30, 2023.
John loved his wife, Becky, deeply and unconditionally. They have two children, John, born in 1981 in Colorado, and Bethany, born in 1985 in Germany. He was so very proud of the accomplishments of them both.
John was a Cub Scout Den Leader and in later years a Pit Pop for the Flushing Raider Marching Band. While his military service required frequent extended absences, when he was home he made sure to stay present and involved with his family. John's other interests included military history and armaments, all aspects of motorcycles and motorcycling, music (both vocal and trombone), and tanks. Once a tanker, always a tanker!
John was a devoted Christian and believed in the power of prayer to his God who called him "friend." As a member of Flint Central Church of The Nazarene, John played trombone in the orchestra, was a member of the security team, and was always ready to volunteer. He loved the Lord and the church. He will be remembered as a man of integrity and devotion to his family. He will be missed beyond our ability to express.
John was preceded in death by his brother, Daniel. He is survived by his wife, Becky; children, John II and partner Stephen Cocumelli, and Bethany (Lee) Brown; grandchildren, Landon, Morgan and Garrett; sister, Marna (Ed) VanDyke; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Friday, September 1, 2023 at the Central Church of the Nazarene in Flint, Michigan.
Graveside services will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, September 21 at Ft. Sill National Cemetery in Elgin, OK.
Graveside Service
Ft. Sill National Cemetery
Thursday, September 21, 2023
2:00 PM
2648 NE Jake Dunn Rd.
Elgin, OK 73538
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