John "Sonny" Golmitz was born in Daisytown, PA in November 1941, the much-loved son and youngest child of John and Helen Golmictz and brother of three adoring sisters, Betty Ann, Loretta, and Rita. He is survived by his wife of nearly 61 years, Sharon, his daughters Lisa and Jenifer, his son-in-law Karl and his beloved grandchildren John and Sophia, who loved and cared for John until his passing on July 30, 2025.

John's military service in the US Air Force Strategic Air Command added structure, discipline and lifelong good friends to his life. His civilian career in the growing computer industry began in Cleveland, OH and continued until retirement from Hewlett Packard in Houston, TX.

Creativity was John's superpower. At work or at home he could evaluate and create a solution to fix or improve most anything. Scouted for the minor leagues as a young man, baseball was his passion until softball became his sport during his military service and beyond. In middle age, he loved to golf, and enjoyed watching professional golf tournaments to the end of his life. His greatest passion, though, was for the sea, tall ships, and sailing, which he learned to do in middle life on his sailboat, The Downtime. Designing the boat's custom logo, polishing its teak interior, and designing and building a dock for its berth provided a creative outlet for his many skills and talents. Feeding a lifelong interest in history, John bought and restored an old camper van so that he could take the family on trips to many historic places, a tradition he later continued through road trips with his grandchildren. After retirement, he and Sharon traveled all over the USA and abroad, and in later years they enjoyed ocean cruises.

Retirement at Alpine Lake Resort in West Virginia brought him close to his growing grandchildren and many new friends. Until his death, John enjoyed his weekly Zoom calls with guys he first met at the Alpine Lake Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEO) breakfasts, men he worked side by side with on many Alpine Lake community improvement projects.

A lifelong practicing Catholic, John lived by the Christian ideals of love God, love your neighbor. If John saw something or someone in need, he didn't hesitate to help. His family and a multitude of friends will deeply miss his wit and his zest for life.

Funeral Mass will be held August 23, 2025, at 12:00 Noon in the Mary Chapel of Prince of Peace Catholic Community on Highway 249 in Northwest Houston.  A reception will follow at 1:00 PM in the Father Ryan Community Center at Prince of Peace.  Inurnment will be at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies at a later date.  No flowers please.