JOHN ROBERT WHORTON III

John Robert Whorton III was born in Columbus, Ohio on March 31, 1978, to Evon Whorton (Turner) and John Robert Whorton II. Always a smart and charismatic young man, John excelled academically and was athletically inclined from a young age. Trained by his oldest brothers as a Golden Gloves boxer, John was the youngest boy of eight children and a beacon of joy for all his family with a personality to match. After graduating from Whetstone High School in 1996, he was awarded a basketball scholarship at Kent State University where he was lovingly revered to as “Pope” by his team and coaches. At KSU, John worked tirelessly to transform himself into a top performer kicking off the University’s first of many NCAA Tournament teams in 1999.
In 2003, John wed the love of his life, Angela “Angel” Whorton (Burnham) and went on to play basketball professionally overseas. Together, they would travel the globe living in New Zealand, Turkey, Germany, France, Italy, Croatia and several other countries in the early years of their marriage. Over the 19 years of their marriage, Angel and John would build a lasting bond built on love, rooted in strength and grounded by God. In 2007, the couple expanded their family with a son, John Ramon (15), and in 2009 had their daughter, Kara (13). After retiring from sports, John remained a devoted father and served as a catalyst in the community supporting youth programs and developing young talent as a beloved AAU Basketball Coach. He was a mentor and motivator for everyone in his life and had the gift of gab, making each person feel uniquely special - like a best friend. Even more, he was a supportive and caring husband who helped nurse his wife back from the brink of cancer, only to face his own battle with death soon after. Diagnosed with one of the most severe Covid cases, John battled unrelentingly for his life over several months in the hospital, defying death multiple times as he struggled to fight his way back to life. With God’s grace and John’s warrior spirit, he survived and returned home to his family as a living testimony to his strength. Having faced his health battles with the same charm, wit, and gentleness with which he approached life, John went on to bless so many others after recovering, working in support of his family business at The Growing Patch.
Often characterized as the life of the party, bringing joy and laughter to everyone around him, “Big John” was the type of man whose life cannot be captured on paper. He was larger than life, in all ways! A true best friend to his son, John Ramon “Big Fella”, and first love to his daughter, Kara “Mu”; he will forever live in our hearts. He was beloved by his Mother-In-Law, Karla “Boo Boo” Burnham and will be remembered by a host of extended family and friends to include Elizabeth “Nana” Darby, Ramon Burnham (Leanne, Antonio, Pristine, James), Monica (Dion Gills) and Monay Slayton, and Tamara “Tibbit” Dampeer, The Growing Patch family and his loving furry companion, Star.
John was predeceased by his parents, Evon and John Whorton II. He is survived by his wife, Angela Whorton, and children, John Ramon and Kara, along with his siblings Raphael “Bum” Turner, Kevin Turner (Veneca), Shana Ward, Doretha Turner, Tempie Turner, Cynthia Whorton, Valarie Veal and a host of nieces and nephews.

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